


Finders Keepers

by CreepyCoat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Animal Deaths, Blood, British Grammar/Spelling, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Frobin, Horror, Humour, Injured Characters, M/M, Masturbation, Modern AU, Mystery, Nami/Nefertari Vivi - Freeform, Religious Undertones, Some Fluff, Strangulation, Supernatural Elements, Swearing, Thriller, Violence, domestic violence... kinda?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2018-10-03 01:56:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 56,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10233095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreepyCoat/pseuds/CreepyCoat
Summary: Almost 100 years ago, three Lighthouse Keeper's vanished without a trace. The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved. Sanji is assigned to this very tower, the last to be manually operated in the UK. What awaits him is an isolated Isle cut off from the mainland; enshrouded in strange rumors, a curse and supernatural events.(Inspired by True Events)





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my wonderful friend Alfred Ankka <3  
> I decided to write this because of you, your love of Zosan and horror.  
> I hope you enjoy! :3

Sanji leaned causally against an aged computer system in the control room of the supply ship. Old unused knobs and gadgets dug mildly into his lower back. Folding his arms inside his thick waterproof coat he eyed up the man steering the ship. The Helmsman stood with his back to him in the wheelhouse. His long black coat hung on his tall thin frame. He looked out towards the sea with a stern face. His hands steadily gripped the ships wheel in a loose 11o’clock and 3 o’clock position. The large spindles like the notches of a clock face were worn and well used.

“I don’t like the look of those clouds,” The Helmsman spoke solemnly without turning to look at his passenger. Earlier he had grunted an introduction, plain and simple, Trafalgar Law. Captain and Helmsman of the supply ship, The Polar Tang. His job cited he traverse the North Sea along its various shipping lanes across Europe and the U.K. Their current destination was a small isolated isle off the coast of Scotland. That side of the Northern Atlantic Ocean the weather always took a turn for the worse with the temperature dropping lower. The only consolation was that the waters during the winter months didn’t completely freeze over thanks to the Gulf Stream carrying over warm air.

Sanji yawned and stared out the large square port windows. The sea calm and grey was cut cleanly in two by the ship’s sharp bow. He gazed up at the sky; a simple blue streaked with long thin wispy clouds that resembled streamers; Cirrus clouds. Bad weather was on the way within a day at best. “You’ll have me ashore in an hour. Plenty of time to get the ship back to good water before it hits.”

Law glanced over his shoulder at his sole passenger, his eyes dark and unreadable. The nonchalant response had irked him somewhat. The isle they were heading to was a complete ring of sheer cliff face and rocky sea beds. One wrong turn and he could run his ship ashore. He needed a steady sea and calm weather to ensure a safe journey. To top it all off his mood was less than stellar; he had barely spoken to anyone for the better part of the day. His crew busy with their chores and his single passenger preferring to skulk about the deck with a lit cigarette between his lips. And now that they were nearing their destination said passenger had decided to hang around the Bridge like a bad smell. Law couldn’t tell whether it was out of curiosity or boredom. Either way he decided to alleviate his own with some conversation.

“Sanji, was it?”

The other man made a confirming sound in his throat. His gaze focused on the clouds.

“You’re the replacement keeper then for the Lighthouse.”

“Yep.”

“Or I should say the Last Lighthouse.”

Sanji perked up somewhat at that comment. His attention intrigued, he shuffled into a proper standing position. His eyes locking onto Law’s back.

Law spied the hint of attention from over his shoulder, a grin playing along his lips, “I take it you haven’t heard?”

Rubbing the soft spot behind his ear he replied, “I just go where they send me. I don’t ask questions.”

“Well then you’re in for a treat. This is the last Lighthouse to be operated by keepers in the U.K. The rest have all long been automated.”

Sanji nodded. The information was nothing new to him. He and the other lighthouse keepers had known for a while now that they were a dying breed. With the slow introduction of diesel powered generators and electricity the need for actual humans to operate the towers had been rendered redundant. It was no longer necessary for Keepers like him to reside full time on the premises. Instead Coastal Guard workers performed monthly checks on maintenance.

“Don’t you find it strange that it hasn’t been automated yet?” Law peered over at his shoulder, his grey eyes twinkling with mirth. He tilted his steering wheel, manoeuvring his hand from 11 to 10 o’clock.

Sanji cocked his head, sensing something was amiss, “What are you getting at?”

Law laughed, low and baritone. “It hasn’t been automated yet because the mainlanders refuse to go near it.” Law waited a beat, just to let the information stir. When Sanji didn’t speak up, he continued, “Why do you think they had to bring a replacement keeper all the way from France?”

“Because… no one local will work there?” He hazarded, “Why?”

Law stared back out at the grey sea, a smile firmly in place. He let his words drift and curl around the control room to the other’s man’s ears. “The isle the Lighthouse is built upon is cursed.”

Sanji scoffed and rolled his eyes. It wasn’t unusual for sea fearers to tell tales of the supernatural.

His grin grew wider, “You really haven’t heard anything.” Law chuckled under his breath, “Roughly a hundred years ago… in fact the 100th anniversary of the incident is this coming Boxing Day.”

“The incident?” Sanji said without any amusement to his tone. He moved from his perch and came to stand just to the side of the Captain. His hands buried in his pockets. When you worked at sea as long as he had, you came to know that ghost stories came along with the job. Best to just indulge the Captain in his tale.

“Three Lighthouse Keepers vanished entirely without a trace.”

He waited a moment but the captain didn’t continue, “That’s it, that’s your spooky tale?”

Law’s grin grew crooked, “I’m afraid if I delved too deep into all the details, you’d demand we turn the ship around.”

Shaking his head Sanji slipped a cigarette out from its carton and perched it between his lips, “Uh huh. _Terrifying_. I’m gonna have a smoke.” Hands in his pockets he walked away with a bored slouch, heading through a passageway to the outer deck.

 

*

 The wind picked up in a fierce blast, buffering the longer strands of his blonde hair. Frowning, he tucked a lock behind his ear and cupped the flame from his lighter safe inside his palms. The spark flitted and the end of the cigarette burned red. He sucked in a long draw, the tip of his tongue tasting the harsh taint of cloves. He exhaled a long silvery wisp that vanished in the wind. Placing his finger tips to his mouth he held the cig between his fingers in a habitual manner. His lips felt cold and dry, the parchment of the cigarette sticking. With quiet eyes he watched dark birds with hooked bills zip and plunge beneath the water’s surface.

As the ship trawled closer the impressive compact mass of the Isle became known. It was not wide; in fact it was rather small, maybe only 40 to 50 acres at most. But what it lacked in size it made up for in sheer height. Sanji tilted his head back in an uncomfortable angle to get a better look at the towering cliff face. He could make out the top most point of the Lighthouse, spying a red and white striped design. Each Lighthouse was painted specifically with its own pattern to stand out during the day and at night they had their own individual flashing pattern. Be it 5 seconds or 30 seconds apart between flashes, the pattern enabled sailors to determine their position at sea. This was called its characteristic. He wondered to himself just the character and nature of this Lighthouse. During his career he had worked in many different Lighthouses from all across Europe. It was common practise. Keepers worked in sets of three’s and one person was always shuffled out in a two month rotation to replace another. This prevented disasters like ‘Cabin fever.’ It was a fair system that allowed the Keepers to experience the better and worse working conditions.

As the ship’s smooth sailing became rough, with cold spray crashing up onto the deck, he felt a chill in the air. Gnarled rocks protruded from the waves like jagged teeth encircling the cliff face. A strange thought occurred to him; if he were to fall from the cliff he wouldn’t hit the water but be impaled upon the rocks. He shuddered. Maybe it was brought on by the ominous cries of black birds but he had a feeling that his time on this Isle was going to fall in the category of ‘bad experiences.’

*

The ship sounded a quick succession of its horn alerting the Isle to its arrival. Crew members dressed in matching white oilskins -thick heavy waterproof coats- emerged onto the deck, shouldering along with them two months worth of supplies. They hefted containers of diesel and sealed boxes of food onto a large crate affixed to a winch and crane. The entire lot would be secured with leather straps, fishing twine and then hoisted over. Due to the Lighthouse being 200 feet above sea level, this was the fastest way to transport the supplies.

Captain Law stood next to Sanji on the deck. With his arms crossed and his eyes serious he surveyed his crew’s work. Pleased with what he saw he tipped his hat and gestured subtly to the man-made landing area on top of the cliff face.

Squinting, Sanji followed his gesture and spotted two small figures, their identity obscured by the distance. The figures waved and seemed friendly. A series of man-made steps carved into the craggy cliff face twisted down in a loose, ‘s’ shape leading to a small inlet. He interpreted the spot as an area for a small row boat to port but at the moment it was empty. One of the smaller figures trundled down a couple of steps, waving enthusiastically. He felt a small smile tug on his cheek.

_Maybe his earlier prediction had been wrong._

 A third larger bulky figure operated a smaller winch and crane perched on the concrete landing. A harness attached to a chain was slowly manoeuvred over and lowered down towards the ship.

 Reaching out he grabbed the swaying thick cables of the harness. His two options for getting to the Isle were to either take a small boat and row himself over or to buckle up and be hoisted up to the landing. Neither were particularly appealing options since past experiences with a harness had seen the cables digging into his groin. But that still outweighed manually rowing himself over through sharp rocks and choppy waves.

The rope felt damp, rough and well worn, the metal clips and buckles cold on his skin.

“Need a hand?” Law asked.

Sanji looked up surprised. He already had one leg looped into the harness. Really it was a two man job, he’d need someone to adjust and tighten the straps on his back to prevent him falling loose. He hadn’t expected the Captain to offer though. “… Yeah I’d appreciate that.”

Law turned on his heel, his black coat swirling in the cold breeze, “Bepo, sort the Keeper out.”

_Ah of course not._

A large man that seemed to be covered entirely in white hair bumbled over to him, tripping over a cargo crate. He apologised in a depressed manner, rubbing the back of his head with a paw like hand. Sanji spotted that he had unusually long nails and incredibly hairy hands. The bear like man fumbled with the clasps, his nails tapping on the metal. Tugging on a clasp, he seized it up tight around his arm. Too tight! But Sanji didn’t have the heart to voice his complaint to the already melancholic bear-man. At least on the bright side, he definitely wouldn’t slip out now.

Bepo stood aside and gestured with his arm in a single straight wave.

The message received, the larger bulky figure on the landing began cranking the winch, hoisting Sanji (uncomfortably) up. The cables pinching him in awkward places, Sanji gritted his teeth and decided to make the most of his ascent. As he gained height the cliff top was revealed. The Lighthouse was rooted firmly in the centre like a candle on a lopsided birthday cake. The land uneven in places was surprisingly rich in lush green grass except for areas nearer to the cliff’s edge where the ground became craggy and unstable. What caught his eye instantly was a flock of sheep. Roughly 20-30 sheep were gathered on the southern side of the isle that sloped downwards. It was the last thing he had expected but not the strangest. At the highest point in his ascent, he spotted a fourth figure. Dark and humanoid it stood tall on the grassy slope and watched. Sanji felt his skin crawl for no inexplicable reason. He didn’t understand. Keepers came in sets of three. He rubbed a hand across his eyes. When he opened them again, the figure was gone.

Feet finally on firm solid ground, Sanji let out a sigh of relief. The largest Keeper that had been operating the winch approached him and enveloped him in a huge hug and spoke in a thick American accent, “Welcome Bro!” The large man pulled back and patted Sanji firmly on the back, “Name’s Franky!”

Sanji coughed, the air knocked out of him, his cigarette lost somewhere. “S-Sanji,” He managed.

Franky beamed and stood with his hands on his hips and his legs akimbo, “Did you enjoy the ride over? I happened to have designed this winch and crane myself,” He said proudly, “Named her the ‘Awesome Franky Lifter’!”

“That so?” He said gathering himself. Clearly this Franky guy was a little eccentric.

The other two figures joined them on the landing. The first was a tall woman with long curly red hair and pale skin dotted with freckles.

Sanji felt his heart trip a beat, she was so beautiful! In his mind he raved poetic in his native tongue, _Une fleur parmi les mauvaises herbes. Une belle femme, sa beauté rehaussée par la mer dure , vraiment un ange, un rayon de lumière!*_ And all the while his mouth hung open stupidly.

The beautiful woman gave him a disdainful glance, her amber eyes cold. Another figure was at her side and Sanji’s heart was floored again. Another beautiful maiden! _Oh mon dieu mon cœur!*_ Smaller in size with a charming countenance and kind face, her dark hair waxed a magnificent blue in the light. He had not expected to be greeted by not one but two stunning women! If this kept up he might have a nose bleed.

After a long moment his brain finally caught up to his heart shaped eyes when he noticed that the two women were handing hands. That and the smaller woman was trying her hardest to hold back tears. Her mouth pulled taut in a brave smile.

“This is Nami and Vivi.” Franky said quietly, gesturing to each woman. His bubbly persona had deflated somewhat. He subtly tugged Sanji to the side and began helping him unbuckle the harness.

“Is everything alright?” The cold glare from Nami resurfaced in his mind, “Did I do something?”

Franky paused; his hand struggling on the clasp that had been pulled so tight it had practically embedded itself into Sanji’s arm. “Hm? No, No,” He waved a hand, “It’s just uh, it’s hard for those two to part.”

Oh.

“Yeah. I probably shouldn’t be tellin’ you this but you’re gonna be living with us and that makes you family now,” Franky finally managed to unclamp the clasp, “Nami, is the Principal Keeper. Her developing a relationship with a junior Keeper is kinda frowned upon. But I’ve never seen two people so happy together, so-” Franky prodded him in the chest with a large finger, “You’ll keep your mouth shut. Got it?”

In the background Sanji was aware of the crane from the boat dropping supplies onto the landing. Of the two women that held each other in their arms like they would never seen one another again. The taller woman Nami cradled Vivi’s face and stroked her long hair tenderly, her lips forming soft words.  He couldn’t hear what they were saying and it wouldn’t be right for him to either. He understood in a flash that although he found the two women breathtakingly beautiful it would be wrong for him to pursue either of them. It was clear that they were deeply in love. He felt a small jab of jealousy in his chest at the thought, it stung a little. Straightening himself up, he finished unclasping the last buckles on the harness. It fell loose and clattered to the ground. He took stock of the mound of supplies. They’d need sorting out; the food needed stored away properly and efficiently to prevent spoilage. Best to get stuck in to work. He offered Franky an agreeable look, “No problem.” He would keep their secret.

The two men made fast work of unloading the large crate. Once it was empty the crew hoisted it back to the ship. Sanji started to load up the boxes and canisters onto a long flat metal trolley stationed on the landing. Judging by the amount of supplies it would most likely take two trips up the steep hill to the store house.

Nami helped Vivi slip into the harness, carefully buckling and adjusting each strap. She patted and double checked each buckle. But she couldn’t delay it any longer; the ship was waiting patiently below to receive the returning Keeper. Embracing Vivi in her arms they shared a final kiss goodbye. Only when Vivi started to cry did Sanji avert his eyes. He put his back into pushing the trolley, its wheels rickety and sticking in the soft marshy ground. He glanced over at Franky pushing the trolley next to him and was surprised to see tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. He snuffled loudly, “What!? I got something in my eye! That’s all!” He vigorously rubbed snot and tears over his sleeve.

Puffing and slightly out of breath the two men made it up the hill top to the Lighthouse compound.  Several smaller buildings surrounded the tower and made up the allotment. Franky gestured vaguely, rhyming off each building, including a store house, outhouse, radio beacon and a small cottage awarded to the Principal Keeper. It was normal practise for the senior most staff to be given the better accommodation. As a junior Keeper Sanji would most likely have a bunk bed or hammock waiting for him.

As they neared the store house: a small white stone building with a steel shuttered door, Sanji spied a woman standing just outside the cottage. Franky went on ahead, unlocking the store. Sanji stared. Was this the fourth person he had seen from above? But the figure he had seen had been standing away down the slope, nowhere near the Lighthouse compound.  She offered a small wave with a radiant smile, her black hair fluttering in the cold breeze. Momentarily stunned by her immense beauty and glittering green eyes, he let go of the handlebar of the trolley. Unsupported the trolley slowly started to roll backwards.

Franky took action in an instant. Thundering past Sanji he grabbed the metal handbrake, the wheels fixing to a stop.

The woman shook her head, laughing quietly.

Shit! He had an apology ready but Franky just batted him on the back and chided, “Be more careful Bro.”

The trolley secure and safely placed inside the store, Sanji swiped his forehead in relief. That had been close. Visions of the runaway trolley crashing onto the rocks below with a month’s worth of their food had him on edge. He decided to inquire about the third woman who had caused his moment of beauty-blinded stupidity.

In the middle of unloading several boxes at a time, Franky stopped and a huge grin lit up his face. He wiggled his fingers on his left hand, a gold ring glinting in the light, “That was my wife.”

“Really…” Sanji said despondently as he felt another little stab of jealousy.

Franky almost dropped the boxes in his hands, a scowl on his face, “Eh what do you mean, really? What… you don’t think a beautiful lady like that would be married to someone like me? Careful what you say now Bro, you don’t wanna offend me.”

Sanji scrubbed a hand across his face. He probably should try to not get on the wrong side of his new work mate. He tried changing the subject, “Why was your wife at the cottage. Isn’t that Nami’s residence?”

“Nah,” Franky shook his head. It seemed the subject change had worked. “Nami prefers to stay in the main building adjoined to the Lighthouse. Where you’ll be staying too actually.” He settled a heavy box of tinned food onto a shelf, “Nami was kind enough to grant the cottage to me and my wife, allowing us some personal space.”

That made sense. It wasn’t uncommon for spouses to join their Keepers at Lighthouses. Although it was said to be a very hard and lonely time for them. Since they were isolated from the mainland’s civilisation and the Keepers were always busy with their duties. As if reading his thoughts, Franky said, “I’ll introduce you two soon. Robin will be glad for a new face. She gets bored easily out here,” He added sadly.

Sanji nodded, “Yeah I’d like that but isn’t there someone else on the Isle?”

“Someone else?” The trolley now emptied, they began their descent back down the hill.

“I swore I seen a person further down the slope, near the sheep.”

“Really you saw him?”

“Him?”

“Yeah, I’ve never spoken to him personally. Actually I don’t think any of us have. He keeps to himself. Think he’s been here longer than any of us too.”

“Who’s he?”

“Dunno. We just refer to him as the Shepherd.”

They reached the concrete landing. The remaining supplies waiting in a neat pile to be transported. Nami stood alone with her back to the two men. Facing out to sea she didn’t greet or acknowledge them. The supply ship was out of sight and Vivi was gone with it.

*

 

A week had passed and Sanji was settling in nicely. He took to his duties easily, the Lighthouse proving to be just the same as any other. Cursed Isle rumours or not. As it stood he had yet to experience anything supernatural and none of the others had mentioned it. He wondered if Law had been pulling his leg but he had a feeling he hadn’t. The Captain had seemed far too serious in nature to joke about such a thing.

Nami had been quiet and withdrawn. A trait that was apparently unusual for her. He often didn’t see her apart from meals times. The main building had a kitchen that all four Isle members gathered in together for breakfast and dinner. They each took turns to prepare the meals. Once all seated at the breakfast table Nami would dish out tasks for the day and checked that the two men knew what they were doing. Then she would disappear for the rest of the day, preferring to spend her time locked away in the radio station. She kept on hand with her at all times, the Log Book, jotting down everyone’s movements, chores and notes about the upcoming weather. Sanji had a feeling she was throwing herself head first into her work to so she wouldn’t have the time to think about Vivi.

This morning was no different, the four members settled around the table. A breakfast meal consisting of eggs, bacon and toast had been prepared by Franky to warm their bellies. The first couple weeks after the supply drop-off they always ate well with plenty of meat, fruit and veg but fresh food did not last. Usually after a month their dinners would consist of tinned ham, tinned beans and tinned soup (Essentially tinned everything). After eating tinned food for so long, Sanji had adapted and become very creative in his limited ways to prepare tinned meals. With the four of them essentially stranded out at sea until the next supply drop off it was important that not a single scrap of food was wasted.

Steadily eating a slice of toast, Nami spoke up, “Sanji I want you to go and check the Out Buildings today. There’s paint in the store house, use it if necessary.” She kept her other hand firm on the cover of the Log Book, “As of now we are the last Keeper Operated Tower in the U.K and if there’s one thing we pride ourselves on, it’s how pristine and tiptop we keep our Lighthouse.”

He nodded, scooping scrambled egg onto his fork, “Yes Miss Nami.”

“You’re also on lamp duty tonight Sanji. And Franky, I need you to polish the brass and glass in the light room.” She rose up from her chair, “I’ll be on radio duty.” She placed her empty plate into the sink and with that she left clutching the Log Book to her chest.

The three remaining occupants shared a look, their eyes downcast. None of them were sure on how to break Nami from her depressive reprieve. In the back of his mind Sanji often wondered if Nami resented him since he had replaced Vivi. He hoped that wasn’t the case.

*

The weather had gotten colder and just as Captain Law had predicted a small storm had erupted the day after his arrival on the Isle. It died down after several days. The heavy pelts of rain lessening to a drizzle. Wrapped up in a heavy oil skin coat he adjusted the trapper hat on his head, its long leather flaps complete with inner wool keeping his ears warm. The cold wind nipped at his skin, his nose tinged a light pink. Checking the Out Buildings as instructed he decided the Tower could do with a fresh coat of paint. It was important that their trademark red and white stripes stayed intact. Affixing a rig to the small railing atop the Lighthouse, he fitted himself into a harness. Paint bucket and brush in hand he started his work at the top of the tower; where the bolts from the railing had rusted and bled into the white stripe. As the early morning hours slowly trickled by he gradually descended lower until he had reached the first red stripe.

Wiping sweat off his forehead; his fingers felt stiff from the cold.

“Time for a break?” A feminine voice called out to him.

Looking down, he spotted Robin standing below, wrapped up tightly in a puffy purple coat and scarf. She waved softly.  He manoeuvred slightly and turned to check the vast ocean just beyond the cliff’s edge. The sun was lying low in the sky. Approaching the horizon, it burned a soft red. Sanji held up his hands, aligning the bottom of his palm with the sea level. He reasoned he had roughly over an hour till it grew dark. It was time to pack up for the day. He’d resume his task tomorrow. He leaned backwards over the drop and slowly lowered himself down using his hand to manoeuvre the rope in an abseiling technique. His feet touched the ground and he straightened himself up, his body and muscles stiff.

After returning the paint and harness to the store, he made to walk towards the main Lighthouse building- A fresh cigarette hooked between his lips. Alarmingly he was running low with only a couple left. He had been distraught to discover that cartons of cigarettes hadn’t been among the supplies. He didn’t know how he was gonna get by without his daily nicotine fix – When Robin abruptly touched his arm, ending his musings.

“Everything alright?” He asked. Over the past week he had become quite close to Franky and Robin. Franky was quirky and loud whereas Robin was more calm and intellectual in nature. During meal times if prompted, she would tell long interesting tales about true events in history. Apparently before coming to live full time with Franky she had worked in a museum as an archaeologist.

“I wondered if you might join me for a short walk?”

Sanji glanced out at the uneven terrain, the grass wet with dew in places. He had yet to leave the Lighthouse compound since he had arrived a week ago. An important rule in the Keeper’s handbook stated that one person must always be present on the compound. But besides that fact he hadn’t felt the need to explore the land. From his bird’s eye view on his crane journey over there hadn’t been much to see.  Just grass, rocks, and sheep.  “Why. You wanna see the sheep or something?”

“No. Something better.”

“Better?” What else was there? And then the image of the strange figure appeared in his mind. He had almost completely forgotten about it. Even now he wasn’t sure he hadn’t just imagined it. Franky had called it the Shepherd but so far during his stay on the Isle he had seen no such person.

“Come with me.” Robin said. There was hint of excitement in her eyes. She left the compound, her wellington boots squelching on the damp ground.

It occurred to him that this was the first real spark he had seen in her eyes. He figured there wasn’t a lot for her to do on the tiny Isle. Mind made up, he stubbed his cigarette out with the heel of his boot. He never could turn down the wishes of a fair maiden.

*

Together they ventured the marshy ground for a good 5-10 minutes. The further they walked away from the compound the steeper the slope became. Twice he almost slipped, his boots skidding on the wet stalks of grass. Robin gripped his arm, without any need to tell him to be careful. Eventually they came across a raised bank of grass. Robin paused and peered over the edge. He followed suit, and saw that they stood on top of a deep embankment. They could easily slide down it on their heels but it would be a lot harder to climb back up. Just as he was debating turning back, Robin took a couple steps forward and started to slide down the embankment.

Crap! He couldn’t let her go alone. What if she couldn’t climb back up by herself? He made to follow after her and in his haste his boot sunk heavily into the marsh causing him to tumble head over heels. He landed at the bottom with a wet thump. He groaned just as Robin glided neatly to a stop next to him. Pulling himself up into a standing position he complained, “Where or what are we doing?”

Robin placed her finger to her lip a made a shushing sound. She gestured with her eyes to something over his shoulder.

Taking the hint, he quietened down. From his new vantage point on the bottom of the embankment he could see what had been hidden from view of the compound. A vast field dotted with white sheep greeted his eyes. Although they were just plain ordinary sheep, he couldn’t help but feel in awe. It was like he and Robin had stumbled onto a secret garden.

The sheep, large and woolly paid the two strangers no mind. Lazily they grazed on long stalks of grass. He supposed the Isle was a haven for them, the land rich and devoid of predators. But wait, hadn’t Robin said that it wasn’t the sheep that they were going to see?”

“This way,” Robin whispered. She walked along the bottom of the embankment, keeping her movements stealthy.

He frowned unsure as to what they were doing but proceeded to go along none the less. Further along the embankment they came across a muddy path. Said path looked as though it had been created by a person trodding up and down it many times. It led all the way up the embankment to the higher piece of land that they had come from.

He glanced to the sky. Twenty minutes had to have passed. They should head back soon. He made to voice his concerns when Robin took the muddy path downwards instead of up. He hesitated, and then followed after.

Off the embankment they arrived on the lower sloping level filled with sheep. Here the grass grew impossibly tall and thick. The long strands reaching up to his thighs. Bunches of wild flowers speckled the grass in tones of blue, pink and gold. He reached out, cupping a flower in his palm, a bead of dew running along the petal. “This is beautiful, Robin.”

However Robin was nowhere near him.  When he didn’t hear a reply he glanced around unable to see her. The flock of sheep were a good 10 feet away from him and munched obliviously on the grass.

“Robin!” He hissed under his breath. Where had she gone? He did a full sweep of the area, his eyes wide and the smell of wild flowers sweet but strong. Then he spotted the tail of her purple scarf fluttering in the wind. She had at some point snuck further down the slope. He rushed after her, stocks of grass whipping around his legs as he ran.

In an instant the sheep froze. Tufts of grass clamped in their maws. With wide dark eyes they twisted their heads in unison to watch the intruder.

He didn’t stop. An unnerved feeling settled its claws in his gut as twenty pair of eyes fixed on him. His boots made loud squelching sounds in the ground, the grass springing up after his every step. The many eyes followed. The wind fell still and the harsh sound of his own breathing was amplified in his ears.

He made it to the scarf’s location and felt instant relief. Thankfully she was still wearing it. For a second he had been worried that it had blown free. He bent over with his hands on his knees as he panted. _He really needed to quit smoking._

Robin was crouched low in the tall grass, her eyes focused on something. With a yank she grabbed his arm and pulled him down into a crouch next to her. She pointed to just a small way ahead of her.

Unable to see anything he flattened a section of the tall grass in front of his face to see what the fuss was. He audibly gasped. Several feet further down the slope on a level area of ground was the ruins of a large building of some kind. The walls were archaic stone and yellowing. Craggy shaped hollows in the walls indicated were windows and a door might have once been. The gambrel shaped roof was rotted through and broken in areas with plants taking root along the old wood. The plants spawned and thrived on the east side of the ruin with lush creeping vines and bushels of wild flowers.

He was astounded. He had no idea such a relic was hiding here. He hadn’t seen even a glimpse of it from the Lighthouse tower or the crane. It clicked instantly in his mind why Robin had led them here; she was an archaeologist after all. He felt a spike of excitement run through his blood; suddenly the tiny Isle had become a lot more interesting. He could tell Robin was buzzing with the same feeling.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go check it out,” He said eagerly. But just as he made to climb up to his feet, Robin tugged him back.

“It’s not safe.” She said quietly.

“Safe? What do you mean? We don’t have to go in.” If she was worried about the ruin collapsing on top of them or-

“He’s here.” She kept her eyes on the ruin; dying to examine it up close.

“What? Who?”

Robin turned slightly and gestured over her shoulder, looking up at something behind them. Sanji turned perplexed but then his eyes widened in surprise. There standing atop the embankment was a tall dark figure. From their position in the grass he couldn’t make out any facial features. The sudden crawling sensation of being stared at sent a shudder down his back. He recognised the sensation from his time being transported over on the crane.

“We refer to him as the Shepherd,” Robin whispered. She stared up at the dark figure. It stood above them all, watching everything.

The sheep grazed and the flowers fluttered in the breeze as the two hid motionless in the tall grass. The sun had almost set. They had roughly half an hour until darkness fell and then it would be almost impossible to find their way back.

“I don’t understand,” Sanji whispered back. As far as he knew the Isle belonged to the Lighthouse. Therefore as Keepers they should be free to roam the entire area. Yet for some reason he felt like he and Robin had just intruded onto this Shepherd’s land. He clenched his fists, he didn’t like feeling intimidated and unsettled. He made up his mind then and there to reveal his hiding spot and challenge this strange figure. He’d pummel the crap into him if necessary! Then Robin could happily explore the ruin.

Robin sensed Sanji’s intention and gripped his arm. She shook her head and mouthed that she would explain later.  She took one last longing glance at the ruin before stealthily moving back towards the way they came, taking extra care to remain out of sight.

Sanji gritted his teeth. His instincts told him to stand up and fight this weirdo but he trusted and respected Robin’s wishes. He swiftly crept along behind her. Briefly he wondered how he got himself into a situation like this. Had Franky of asked the same of him, he would’ve laughed in his face and told him where to go. A thick blade of grass thwacked him unceremoniously in the face just as he realised that his inability to say no to a woman was going to get him killed someday.

*

Tired, cold and damp Sanji diligently climbed the exhausting 200 steps up to the Light room, the highest room in the tower that housed the lamp. He had known as soon as he saw the numerous lanterns glowing softly around the compound that they had returned late. Since it stated in the rule book that one Keeper had to be present in the Light room from as soon as night fell, he’d had to forgo his dinner. He plunked himself down at his station, a single stiff wooden chair placed at the top of the steps. He held his head in his hands and sighed. He needed a smoke and his stomach was growling but he couldn’t leave the Light room until morning. Sitting in the dark he was glad that the Lighthouse had been fitted with an Aerobeacon; a high intensity lamp kept inside a cylindrical casing. The diesel generator powered the lamp and the rotating axis it was mounted on. This meant that his job was merely to monitor the lamp and alert the other Keepers if it suddenly malfunctioned. In the older days, a Keeper’s job was much more arduous. Every three hours they would have had to manually wind up a clockwork mechanism to rotate the lamp, trim the wicks and keep the fuel topped up.

He closed his eyes and listened to the mechanical clinking and whirring noises the Aerobeacon made during each rotate and flash. It was going to be a long night. It was then that he heard the tell tale sound of footsteps. The old stone steps of the Lighthouse did not groan, instead the press of each footfall reverberated up the tower. From his perch on the chair, he stared at the top most steps visible to him in the dark. He held his breath and listened as the sound grew in volume. Crossing his fingers he hoped it wasn’t Nami on her way to tell him off about being late for his duty.

He saw the head and shoulders of the person first as they ascended up the steps. And he released the breath he’d been holding.

Robin smiled in the dismal darkness and held out a small container. “I brought dinner.”

Stomach gurgling loudly in the dark, he grabbed it eagerly and tucked in to mashed potatoes and sausages. It had gone cold but he would finish every forkful.

Robin settled down on the topmost step and propped herself up against the tower’s wall. “I promised I would explain.” She didn’t look at Sanji but out towards the curved windows of the tower. It was pitch-black out but the line where the ocean met the sky was soft and still. “None of us really know who the Shepherd is but I have my own theory.” As she spoke the lamp rotated, flashing out to the sea in a brilliant stripe. “And I don’t believe for a second that he’s on this Isle to watch sheep.”

A forkful of mash, Sanji listened.

“Have you heard about the incident that occurred almost one hundred years ago?”

“Mhm,” He nodded with a full mouth.

Robin rested her chin atop her palm, “Well before that incident and long before the Lighthouse was even built, it was said that this Isle was cursed.” She looked to Sanji, her eyes calm as though she were telling a simple bed time story, “The mainlanders believed that this land was haunted by spirits, sea ghosts and giant black birds. The birds were thought to the harbingers of death; to see one was to come face to face with pure malevolence.”

Sanji looked at her perplexed. Sea ghosts and Ghost ships he had heard about plenty. Sailors and Captains would often tell of lost souls that wailed and cried in the dead of night or ships that vanished in the moonlight. But he had never heard of giant birds of death. It seemed rather absurd and what possible ties could birds have to a Shepherd?

“That is not all.” Robin continued, “Those ruins that I showed you today are thought to be connected to the three Keeper’s disappearance.” She pressed her thumb to her lip, her face thoughtful, “I’ve only been able to read up on the lore until now,” She stood up, her figure cast in darkness from the lack of light, “I think the Shepherd was placed here to guard the ruins. There’s something in there that someone doesn’t want us to know.” The lamplight flashed. “It could be the answer to what happened 100 years ago!”

Swallowing a mouthful of mash Sanji spoke, “Alright, so screw this Shepherd bastard. You’re a proper archaeologist, go check out the ruins. There’s no one more qualified than you.”

She looked hesitant but pleased at his praise, “Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get close enough. Once I’m within range the Shepherd just appears out of nowhere. He hasn’t approached me or even verbally warned me to stay away… it’s more a feeling that his presence exudes. I always end up turning back.”

Sanji was quiet, processing Robin’s words. He understood what she meant. As soon as he had laid eyes on the figure, his ‘fight or flight,’ instincts had gone straight to flight. Only that he was naturally fearless did he manage to push himself though that urge. It also had helped that Robin had been there next to him. It had given him the incentive to stand his ground for her sake.

She continued on, “Another thing I thought strange was for there to be sheep here in the first place. I looked into past records about the Isle’s history and it stated that for hundreds of years Shepherds regularly brought their flocks here to graze. As the grass on this Isle was far richer than the mainland. That being said it was always clearly stated that not a single Shepherd would spend the night on the Isle, ever. That was how strongly they believed in the Isle’s curse and threat of the supernatural.”

Sanji swallowed, his food sticking in his throat as he realised the contradiction in her sentence. No ships or fishing vessels came this far out from the mainland except for the supply ship. But even it only appeared once every two months. He had also confirmed that there weren’t any small boats at the single inlet on the Isle. All of those facts could only mean that-

 

“This Shepherd doesn’t leave.” Robin finished his thought out loud.

 

“But then where on the Isle is he staying and why isn’t he afraid of the curse?”

 

“What if,” Robin spoke in a calm and chilling tone, “ _He is connected to the curse_?”

 

*

When the sun arose Sanji’s head was finally able to rest on his pillow. His room was roughly the size of a small train compartment and contained only a bunk bed and several key pieces of furniture such as a wardrobe and other storage. On his very first night he had taken the bottom bunk as the top had shown signs of use. Although with their shift pattern- one Keeper staying up all night with the lamp and the other asleep- it wouldn’t be that often that he would have company with him in the room. And yet he and Nami had never been asleep at the same time in the room together. It almost seemed like she had purposely designed their schedule so that such a thing never would happen. This all strengthened his theory that she resented him.

Alone in the darkened room he stared up at the wooden slats in the bunk above him. The mattress above him looked old and worn. Everything in the room was rather stale and aged. Without a single window the room felt stuffy. It had been designed with the idea that the Keeper’s would be sleeping during the day. Even though he knew the sun was shining outside, he felt on edge in the gloomy little room. Dust speckles floated in front of his field of vision. Rubbing his eyes he groaned and rolled onto his side, burying his face in his pillow. He was exhausted but sleep was evading him and he knew why. Robin’s lilting voice and words keep repeating in his head.

_Curse_

_Shepherd_

_Birds of Death_

_The Ruins_

His mind tried to come to a conclusion but it stumbled over the first fact; the one thing that seemed to tie it all together, ‘The Incident.’ Just what had happened one hundred years ago?

Law’s story had been vague and Robin had not explained, assuming that Sanji already knew. But he didn’t. He wasn’t sure he did want to know, he had to stay here after all. The phrase came to his mine, ‘Ignorance is bliss.” Still he didn’t like not knowing the facts. He decided that at some point he would ask Robin for the full story.

As he kicked his long legs under the bed sheet in an attempt to get more comfortable; his thoughts started to curl and twist in his head. Something occurred to him, something that should have been obvious from the start. The Keepers from almost a hundred years ago had lived in this exact tower, used this room and slept in this very bed.

_The very bed he was currently lying in._

He shivered, realising he was essentially sleeping in a bed belonging to one of the dead. Out of nowhere he felt the sensation of warm air blow over his ear. He froze. His body locking up. It felt like someone was breathing right next to him. The blanket over his shoulder began to slowly slide down his arm, the fabric rustling as though it were being pulled by someone or something. He tried to keep calm. He was imagining things! He was tired, and his brain had gone a bit crazy due to the lack of sleep. He clamped his eyes shut and repeated in his mind; _It’s all in my head. All in my head. It’s not real._

**SLAM**

He bolted upright in the bed, looking around the room frantically, his chest heaving. The room looked empty but it was dark and hard to see. In the corner of his eyes he spied shadows in the room that seemed to sway and grow in volume.

He pinned his eyes to the door, his only exit. It was now shut when he had previously left it slightly ajar. Something had slammed it. No that was impossible. It had to have been a trick of the wind or draught from an open window somewhere in the tower. The shadows in the corners seemed to grow larger, the room seeping darker. He had to escape now.

Bravely he jumped out of his bed, his bare feet slapping onto the cold floor. He didn’t dare look back at his bed or check the top bunk for the source of the breathing. The sudden image in his mind of a dark figure looming above him with piercing eyes scared him. He sucked in a deep breath, he was scaring himself! With steady footsteps he ran towards the door and yanked it open. The narrow hallway leading to the lounge room greeted him. He peered out, seeing no one.  No one that could have slammed the door like that. This early in the morning, the others would not have risen yet for breakfast. Shaking his head, he felt the onset of a head ache beginning. He stepped out from the bunk room, closing the door firmly behind him without looking. He wouldn’t admit that he was afraid to look back.

Running a hand nervously through the strands of hair on his forehead, he knew he really needed sleep. However he was not going back into that room for anything. He padded softly down the hallway into the lounge room and settled down onto the settee. It had become lumpy from use and the fabric was frayed in places. He pulled the throw -a soft fabric blanket draped over the back of the settee- over himself. Curling his legs up beside him he bundled down onto the lumpy cushions. With early daylight bleeding in from the nearby window he felt a little safer. He closed his eyes and struggled to go over to sleep.

*

When he awoke later that evening the sun had long set. He scrubbed a hand groggily over his face wiping the sleep from his eyes. His back ached from lying in a sitting position for so long. Draping the throw back over the settee he made his way into the kitchen. Robin stood with her back to him preparing the group’s dinner, -a fisherman’s stew by the looks of it- He mumbled a greeting to her as he blearily made himself a mug of black tea.

Sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands he felt rough and disorientated. Having slept during the day and then woken up to find it was dark had his natural body clock thrown off. He stared at the windows in the kitchen; without the daylight, they were opaque like black mirrors. The image of the kitchen was reflected inside them and he could see a reflected shadow version of Robin at the stove. Eerily his own shadow reflection stared back at him with hollow eyes. He averted his gaze; it was like his imagination was determined to freak him out!

Sipping sluggishly from his mug of tea he tried to recollect the strange occurrence in the bunkroom. Had any of that been real? The door had certainly slammed, he was sure of that much after having checked. But the sensation of breath misting warm along his skin. He shuddered, remembering it a little too clearly. It had almost felt like someone had been lying directly behind him on the bed, spooning him. Shaking his head he took another long sip of his tea, it tasted bitter. The whole scenario was too bizarre to even consider confiding in Robin about. Curses and Shepherds was one thing but imagining –dare he say- a ghost person breathing on him was another.

It wasn’t long until they were joined by Franky and Nami. The three of them sat around the table in silence. The mood felt strained, tense and no one seemed willing to break it. Even Franky who was normally the life and soul of the party was quiet. Once dinner was ready they ate without talking, murmuring only a thanks to Robin.

Finishing her meal first, Nami issued an order to him as usual. An easy one at that: clean the tower living quarters. The spoken command broke the quietness and easy conversation started between himself and Franky. Robin smiled but her eyes looked tired. Nami excused herself; the log book tucked under her arm.

*

His chores finished he stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. After their dinner from earlier he had lit up his final cigarette. So now it was official, he was nicotine less. And it had only been several hours since his last smoke but he felt the urge for another. He knew why, he was still feeling uneasy and smoking always calmed him. He scuffed the heel of his boot along the ground. Shit. It was at least another seven weeks until the next supply drop off. But would cigarettes even be among the rations? They hadn’t been the first time. Fuck. He debated it over in his mind, maybe if he asked Nami she would send a message out over the radio to order him some. He quickly dismissed that idea; he didn’t think Nami would be willing to do him a favour, a self indulgent one at that. And even if she did, the cigarettes wouldn’t arrive any time soon.

Arggh, he tugged the collar of his oil skin coat up and around his throat to keep himself warm. He hooked his fingers in his pockets. His usual carton of cigarettes was long gone; his pockets empty apart from a single pen. He pulled it out and rolled it between his fingers. Sighing he slotted it between his lips. It helped with the craving a little by satisfying his need to chew on something. He licked the end of the pen in his mouth with the tip of his tongue. He tasted nothing, no taint of cloves or tobacco.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed, he was so screwed. He glanced around the compound, it was dark. The soft lights from the lanterns and the windows of the cottage painted the area in soft hues of orange.

Maybe a walk would help him forget his cravings.

He ambled bored around the compound. Hands fisted in his pockets, he chewed the pen in his mouth. Having walked the entire compound area three times over he approached the short stone step leading to the hill top. There was no way he was going to go for a walk on the hilltop in the dark. He would have to be beyond stupid to do so. With his luck he’d get lost and tumble over the edge off the cliff or even worse find himself back at the ruins. Still he climbed up the step and placed a hand on the low stone wall that encircled the compound. Just taking a curious look out over the dark terrain, he told himself.

Above him the Lighthouse flashed it’s light out to sea but it did not illuminate the Isle. He looked up, seeing the tip of the tower, the light flashing inside. He took a step toward the hill top, his eyes looking upwards for the stars. The sky was overcast with only a tiny sliver of moon peeking behind the thick clouds. As soon as his boot pressed into the marshy ground he became aware that he was not alone. The sensation of goose pimples on his skin alerted him to a presence.

The clouds started to shift revealing more light.

There standing only a couple feet away from him on the hill top was a figure.

His eyes widened. Just how long had it been standing there?

The figure approached him.

His immediate response was to jump back but he reined it in and held his ground. This had to be the Shepherd. He pulled his face into the fiercest scowl he could manage. He would make it clear that he was not afraid, that he would not back down.

A low laugh was heard in the dark and the figure closed the last remaining steps between them.

Sanji sucked in a breath of cold air. His teeth biting the pen between his lips. He would not step back.

And then he heard it speak in a low gravelly voice, “Don’t leave the compound at night.”

What? Was that a threat of some kind? Sanji yanked the flash light he had clipped onto his trouser leg. With a click a thin beam flickered in. Rudely he shone it into the face of the figure.

The man squinted, a scowl and glint in his dark eye. And it was a man, not a figure or spectre. He had tanned skin and a thin scar running over his left eye that remained shut as though sealed. The expression on his surly face said he was unimpressed with the use of the flash light.

Still Sanji shone the torch up and down the man, taking in everything. They were roughly the same in height, the man wearing thick bundled clothing that looked to be made from animal hides and wool. Sheep skins, his mind supplied. A trapper hat similar to his own was upon his head and loose strands of hair poked free. The hair looked green. _Weird._

The clouds parted and the moon huge and full revealed herself, bathing the Isle in bright shades of silver.

The man before him rolled his one good eye as he clamped his fist over the torch clicking the off switch.

Sanji kept his grip firm on his flash light, refusing to let go. For a moment the two of them stood there, their hands almost touching along the slim barrel in some awkward kind of standoff. Then something completely unexpected happened that shocked him. The man reached out with his free gloved hand and plucked the pen from between his lips.

He stared slack jawed as the other man licked his teeth and slotted the pen into his own mouth.  The moonlight glowing revealed a strong jaw line and firm lips. Sanji swallowed his throat feeling a little dry as he realised that the man was rather attractive, handsome even in a rugged way.

The man spoke again, his lips pulled into a grin and his words a little garbled through the pen, “Come find me in the daylight and I’ll help you with your little problem.” Sensually he gripped the pen between his fingers, slowly sliding it free from his lips. His hand closed the distance between them, slotting then pen back between Sanji’s lips.

He felt his own face flush as realised that he had just been indirectly kissed! And that the faint slick taste in his mouth mixing along his tongue was the other man’s saliva.

Turning on his heel the man walked away into the dark night just as the clouds filtered over the moon.

“Wait!” Sanji called after him, “What’s your name?”

It was pitch black. The moonlight had vanished entirely but he waited anyway. His hand still gripped the flash light and in his dazed state it didn’t occur to him to use it. Instead his eyes scanned the darkness for movement, his body urging him to give chase. Then he heard a low voice carry over the wind.

“The Shepherd… but you can call me Zoro.”

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> French Translations  
>  *A flower among the weeds. A beautiful woman, her beauty enhanced by the hard sea, truly an angel, a ray of light!  
> *My God my heart!
> 
> (Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors)
> 
> Also as mentioned in the summary this story was inspired by true events. If you're interested search up, 'the Mystery of Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers,' for more details. It won't spoil the plot as this is set roughly a 100 years later.


	2. Two

*

The next morning Sanji hummed a tune jovially as he cooked. Manning a hot frying pan he whipped up the group’s favourite: scrambled eggs and bacon. In a second smaller pot he sautéed diced mushrooms in butter and garlic as a little extra treat. He had bread piled up on plate, already toasted a golden brown, just waiting to be buttered. He sung a little under his breath enjoying the heavenly scent of a good morning breakfast.

“Aw man that smells good!” Franky praised as he walked into the kitchen. Stretching his arms, he cracked his neck and plunked himself down at the table. Robin followed along, taking a seat next to him. Resting her chin elegantly in her palm she said with a strange twinkle in her eye, “You’re in a very good mood day Sanji.”

He glanced over his shoulder, stirring the pot of mushrooms with a wooden spoon. He offered her his best neutral look.

Robin’s smile grew. “You are! Did something happen?” She tilted her head coyly. Her fingers tapping a little beat along her cheek bone.

Damn she was intuitive. He turned his attention back to his cooking. Flicking the stove to off, he lifted the frying pan away and began to divide the portions of food between four plates. He lifted the pot off the stove and drained the excess grease and fat down the sink, using the lid to keep the mushrooms safely inside. Then he added a generous portion of garlic mushrooms to each plate, before settingthe plates down on the table.

Without hesitating Franky shovelled large scoops of scrambled egg into his mouth, barely remembering to chew. Loudly he made pleased noises as he slurped down strips of bacon, “Tastes so good! What’s your secret Bro!?” He eagerly stabbed mushrooms with his fork popping them into his mouth one by one, humming his approval.

“Morning,” Nami said as she entered the kitchen taking her seat at the table. Deftly she lifted a slice of toast and began to butter it with her knife.

The group greeted a ‘Good Morning,’ and then they waited, for the inevitable. For Nami to finish her single slice of toast and groundout their daily chores before once again leaving.

However Robin interrupted that routine. Artfully placing slices of mushrooms onto her toast she gave Sanji an expectant look. When he didn’t answer, she spoke with mischief in her tone, “Sanji has a secret!”

“What?” He bumped his knee into the leg of the table. Ouch.

Franky nodded, he had strips of bacon wrapped up in two slices of toast, melted butter dripping down his hand. “I agree. You seem far too happy Bro.”

“N-No I’m not-“ He made to argue. He felt his face flush as he vividly remembered last night. The handsome Shepherd Zoro and their indirect kiss.

“My my, are you blushing Sanji?”  Robin cooed.

Nami peered up, suddenly intrigued by the loud shenanigans of her table mates. She stated in a matter of fact manner, eyeing Sanji’s reddening face, “You are blushing. What’s going on?”

That did it for Franky. He started hollering and thumped the table in tandem with his words, “Tell us. TELL US. TELL US!”

Robin gently patted the table along to the beat.

Sanji shook his head. “FINE! OKAY! Just stop with the noise.” He looked over to Nami who was watching him curiously, “You’re gonna give Miss Nami a headache.”

Nami gave him an unimpressed look.

“Alright okay…” Sanji picked up his fork, pushing a slice of mushroom around his plate. “So last night, I might have met the Shepherd.”

“No! No waaaay!” Franky hollered.

“Fascinating, did you speak with him?” Robin asked. She was leaning in towards him now, her hand outstretched to him as though she would grab him and shake the information free.

Nami chewed her slice of toast and listened.

“Uh maybe…. He wants me to meet him today.”

Franky dropped his fork; it clattered onto the table just as his mouth made a large ‘O’ shape.

“Amazing! You’ll be getting up close to the myth and legend, you could uncover all his strange secrets,” Robin said excitedly. He swore he could stars sparkling in her eyes and wondered if she was going to ask if she could come to.

“What are you waiting for Bro? The suns already up! Get going!”

Sanji turned to Nami. He needed her permission. She stood up, taking her empty plate with her. “You’re on Lamp duty tonight. So be back on time.”

That was a yes!

Energetically he jumped to his feet feeling excitement running through him. He grabbed her hand giving her a vigorous hand shake, “Yes Miss Nami, thank you.”

Despite herself, Nami smiled, “Don’t mention it,” She paused and then added, “Breakfast was nice.”

 

*

He wrapped himself up well, tugging on his thick oil skin coat and trapper hat. He hopped into blue Wellington boots and marched outside to the compound. He got to the step leading up to the hilltop when he realised he had no idea how to find this Zoro. He stopped and breathed in a deep breath of air. It was colder today. In fact each day that passed the temperature seemed to drop. It was odd though -he held a hand up over his eyes as he looked up to the horizon- the sun was out and fully ablaze. Yet dark wispy clouds lay threatening just on the outskirts. He dipped his hand into his pocket to fetch himself a cigarette just as he unfortunately remembered that he had none. Merde!* Gnashing his teeth he strongly fought back the urge for a cig and headed out onto the marshy land. He wasn’t gonna find Zoro just standing here!

 The grass was damp with dew from the night before. He decided his plan of action should be to head to the Ruin. According to Robin, the Shepherd always appeared then. Or maybe, he thought to himself, what if he annoyed the sheep and got them to ‘Baa’ loud enough to draw him out. Zoro might not be too pleased with the latter option though.

He trundled down the embankment, taking care not to slip or fall this time. He reached the lower level where the grass rose up high and brushed along his thigh. The Sheep twitched at the sight of him. Unanimously they raised their heads to watch him. He ignored them, marching pass the flock with his hands in his pockets. He reached the spot where he and Robin had crouched to hide from the Shepherd. He turned on his heel, to look behind himself expecting to see Zoro standing there like some freaky spectre. But there was no one there.

 He glanced back at the Ruin. In the damp morning, the yellowing stones had taken on a miserable slate grey colour. The plants growing along its cracks looked like parasitic veins breaking through its foundations. It looked eerier, somehow. In his mind he realised that he could go over and explore it but without Robin it didn’t feel right. It was her discovery after all.

He turned on his heel and tramped to the middle of the flock. He plucked a long thin stalk from the grass and popped it between his lips, chewing on the end. It tasted bland and plain like wet lettuce.

The sheep watched him curiously. If anyone could see him now, chewing on a stalk of grass like some backwater farmer he’d die. Time for plan two he guessed. Slowly he approached the closest sheep, its legs and face dark whereas its coat was light. “So where’s your Shepherd?” He asked conversationally. “Any chance you could ‘baa’ and get him for me?”

The sheep didn’t answer him. Its jaw moving round and round as it chewed its cud. Its large brown eyeballs just stared back at him unnervingly without blinking.

He shrugged his shoulders, feeling the onset of irritation bubbling just beneath his skin. He bit into the grass stalk harshly. Where was this guy!? He’d said to come find him in the morning. He paced back and forth, one hand in his pocket, his shoulders hunched and bent over.

_Wait! Don’t tell me, he meant that I actually had to **find** him? _

He stopped in his tracks. There was no shitty way he was gonna run all over the Isle in some stupid game of hide and seek! Clenching his jaw, the stalk snapped between his teeth, the longer end falling away.

“DAMNIT!” He cursed out loud. He turned and stormed towards the Ruin. Since Zoro couldn’t be assed to show up and he wasn’t stupid enough to play hide and seek. He was gonna check out the damn Ruin. After all, who was gonna stop him? Not the fucking sheep that’s for sure!

“I’m here.” A voice lazily drawled out, “Calm down.”

Sanji stopped mid step and turned towards the source of the voice.

A single boulder like rock situated near the edge of the field peered back at him.

He stomped towards the rock his ire building with each step. And sure enough there behind the rock, draped out in the grass, enjoying the morning sun and as happy as a pig in shit was Zoro.

“Are you serious?” He grounded out.

Zoro opened his one good eye, and gave Sanji a good once over. He was the picture of comfort. The grass looked like a soft blanket under his body, wild flowers popping up rosily beside him. With his arms raised languidly under his head he smiled indolently, “Good morning to you too.”

“Just how long were you gonna make me look for you?”

Zoro tilted his head, a fake thoughtful expression on his face, “Once you started talking to the Sheep, I figured it would be more fun to stay hidden.”

Sanji clenched his fists on his hips just as he raised his leg in the air, “You have 5 seconds to get up before I smash my boot into your face.”

The other man smirked, his white teeth glinting. In an instant he sprung up to a standing position and instantly he was crowding into Sanji’s personal space.

They were very close, Sanji felt himself take a sharp intake of breath. Zoro was just a little taller than him, his skin a warm bronze in the sunlight. And he smelled, God he smelled so good. There was an undeniable musky scent tinged with the perfume of wildflowers.

Cocking his head, Zoro said “Was that a threat?” His smile had grown wild. Three gold earrings in his left ear glinted dangerously.

He felt his mouth go dry. In the daylight he could make out the Shepherd, no Zoro better and shit, he was gorgeous. With piercingly handsome features such as a jaw line that could cut glass and a single dark coloured eye that glowed a warm brown.

Okay how long was he gonna stare at him and why had his heart rate sped up? He steeled himself ignoring Zoro’s taunt and trying to ignore just how ridiculously good looking he was. Really now, weird guys that lived alone on Isle’s shouldn’t be that good looking! “You uh, said you could help me.” Truthfully he didn’t like accepting help from others. It made him feel vulnerable but his need for nicotine won out over his pride.

Staring at him for a long moment, Zoro didn’t speak. Sanji could literally feel the other mans gaze slowly travelling across his face, to his blue eyes and fine hairs on his jaw line. Finally Zoro swallowed, nodded once and made a loose ‘follow me,’ motion with his hand. With ease he jumped down to the levelled ground hosting the Ruin but walked away from it in the opposite direction.

Sanji followed suit, occasionally glancing back at the Ruin, watching it get smaller the further they went. They walked in a curved line, travelling around the South-East side of the Isle. The grass began to die off into patches of dirt until it was gone completely and the terrain became craggy, grey and tough. The wind picked up speed battering into them fiercely. Tiny speckles of rain splatted onto his face. He gripped his trapper hat tightly to his head as he glanced up at the sky. The grey clouds were closer, larger and just above them. They dripped down a light drizzle blatantly ignoring the fact that the sun was still shinning exuberantly. It seemed strange for them to be experiencing a ‘Sun Shower,’ in the winter season. Sun showers typically occurred around the beginning of spring. He wondered, what it meant, if maybe they’d see a rainbow later-

His foot suddenly gave way, the craggy ground breaking beneath him. He felt himself tumble forward, his balance completely lost. The roiling unforgiving face of the ocean came into full view. Her thick waves crashing violently into the cliff face. Right below him the rocks jutted up from the sea bed in a jagged smile. He felt all the air in his lungs leave and in pure fright he closed his eyes.

An arm wrapped around his middle and yanked him back.

His heart beat wildly, as he sucked in a loud gasp for air. That had been too close! He had felt the wind rip through his flesh and in his mind he replayed the image and sounds of what could have been. The sickening splat as his body hit the rocks, all his bones smashing into tiny pieces. Blood and visceral guts gushing free and dying everything scarlet.

The arm around his middle did not let him go, instead it tightened. A loud voice was yelling in his ear but he wasn’t paying any attention, the sound of his rushing heart beating too loudly in his ears. He replayed in his mind, the fall, the loss of control and the expected impact of his death.

Eventually the voice calmed into an angry growl, “What the fuck were you DOING?!”

He turned then. Reality slowly coming together, he hadn’t fallen. Zoro had saved him. In a split second the other man must have grabbed him. He looked down at his feet. Stupidly he’d been watching the clouds to the point that he completely forgotten to look where he was going. He had almost walked right off the edge of the cliff.

Zoro twisted him around to face him. His face furious. Curiously there was a hint of something else in his expression; it looked a little like worry. He kept his arm wrapped firmly around Sanji’s middle. His other hand patting him all over, checking he was alright.

And now that Sanji was facing him. It finally sunk in that Zoro was holding him. Almost embracing him. Suddenly he felt incredibly embarrassed about the entire scenario. He struggled in the tight grip to get loose and restore his pride.

But Zoro did not let him go.

He struggled unsuccessfully, Zoro’s grip only tightening. Dammit! He was a veteran Lighthouse Keeper! He was tough! He didn’t need to be rescued. Storms were nothing to him. Heck he could swim a marathon in freezing waters, could repair the Lighthouse’s generator blindfolded. He was strong, he was powerful….. he was being held in another man’s arms like a damsel. And a tiny traitorous thought in the back of his mind purred that he liked it. That he desired and savoured the sensation of strong fingers twisting into his back. Wanted them to grip and push him down, take all control away from him and…. _Fuck_. He stopped squirming, his mind running away with salacious thoughts.

Zoro’s other hand had moved along his arm, gripping his bicep to try to hold him still. Once he saw that Sanji wasn’t going to struggle anymore he loosened his grip but kept his hands in place. “You almost walked right off the cliff.” There was an edge of steel to his voice. That said if Sanji didn’t give him the right response, his anger would reignite in a click of his fingers.

Sanji grimaced, a thank you stuck in his throat. He was too prideful to admit his mistake. Finally he managed a nod and patted Zoro’s arm in what he hoped seemed like a manly brush off.

Taking the hint Zoro became aware that he still holding Sanji. Bashfully he dropped his arms and took a step back. Keeping his eye averted he spoke, “Can you keep your feet on the ground or I’m I gonna have to hold your hand?”

Instantly Sanji felt his hackles rise and a scowl form on his face. He did not like being made fun of. Trying to cool his temper, he reasoned with himself that Zoro had just saved his life. He could allow a taunt, just this once.

“I can walk by myself,” he bit back. Why did Zoro push all his buttons exactly the right way and then in the next minute rub him up the wrong way? He could still feel a warm patch on his skin from where Zoro’s hand had been pressing into his spine through his coat.

Zoro huffed and stomped on ahead but at a much slower pace. Much to Sanji’s annoyance, every so often Zoro would check over his shoulder just to make sure Sanji was still there and hadn’t stupidly tried to go over the cliff again.

 

*

“This is it,” Zoro said gesturing to a flat span of land. It was enclosed in among a large volume of rock that initially hid it from view and thankfully cut the area off from the strong wind current.

He eyed up the small space, spying the remains of a make shift fire and cooking pot, “You live… here?” To be clear, there wasn’t anything there. Like nothing. He had expected a tent or maybe even a small cottage of some sort.

Zoro scoffed, “Are you blind or is it just all that hair over your eye?” He marched over to the centre of the mound of rocks and to Sanji’s surprise pulled back a door. From the outside it looked like stone but from its movement and creaky sound it was clearly a door on a hinge, carved into the rock.

Gesturing to the open entrance, Zoro lauded, “Look and you shall find.”

He had been keeping his distance from Zoro after his near accident. But now he approached him and the door. Stooping slightly he looked in through the opening seeing a hollow space carved out from the rock. A set of old iron steps led down to a small living space lit up by soft glowing lanterns affixed to the stone walls. It was a bunker, a secret bunker on the Isle!

Zoro jerked his head in a motion to head inside. But something in Sanji didn’t want to. Maybe it was because Zoro was a stranger. And even though he was idiotically handsome and had even gone so far as to save him, he was still The Shepherd. And the fact that he had initially appeared as a dark figure and seemed to be connected to the Isle’s strange goings on, warned him to not to go.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll wait out here.”

Before ducking and heading into his bunker Zoro pressed his lips together in disapproval. His footsteps slapped harshly down the iron steps displaying his annoyance.

Deciding not to hover outside the entrance, he headed over to a lone log lying beside the fire’s remains. He stared at the circle of stones, remainders of ash and burnt twigs and wondered how someone could live like this; alone with only sheep for company? He began to question other things, like what did Zoro eat? And how did Zoro even have cigarettes and supplies to light lanterns in the first place? There was something more to this, the whole thing was shady. None of the other Keepers knew what the Shepherd was doing here on the Isle to begin with.

He folded his arms and sighed. Apart of him knew he was just letting his mind run wild. If he wanted the answer to all these questions he should just ask him. But what if Zoro became standoffish if he poked too much? And refused to give him cigarettes. No he decided then, he would play it cool and slowly gather information without scaring the other man off.

Zoro re-emerged from the bunker, a carton in his hands.

Sanji practically tripped over the log in his haste. Fuck, he gripped the cigarette carton, yanking it from the other man’s hand. In the back of his mind he was sure he’d spoken a thanks but he was too busy mentally screaming, ‘ **nicotine’** to care. With a slight shake to his fingers he slid out a single cigarette and slotted it between his lips. Fuck it felt like coming home. He started to frantically pat down all his pockets searching for his lighter.

Just then Zoro clicked a lighter right in front of him, the little yellow flame calling his name.

He leaned in, the tip of his cig meeting the flame. His face and lips close to Zoro’s hands. The tip glowed red and he sucked in the longest draw. Moaning audibly, his eyes closed in pleasure. Exhaling a long silvery wisp of smoke he moaned, ”Fuuuuck,” under his breath. It was so good, that instant hit of nicotine to his brain. He was like a starving man finally being given food. Opening his eyes he found Zoro still standing next to him. His hand still outstretched holding the lighter and his mouth slightly agape.

Sanji’s eyes widened as he noticed that there was a slight rosy hue to Zoro’s cheeks and that his eye was glazed over with what could only be lust.

Quickly realising he was being watched, Zoro turned away, omitting a dry cough.

Sanji smiled the taste of cloves rich on his tongue. It looked like he wasn’t the only one with a crush.

*

Sulking Sanji huffed outside the main building of the Light house. The sun was just beginning to set, the sky glowing a warm red. He’d have to start his light duty very soon. Rolling an unlit cigarette along his tongue he thought about Zoro. The selfish bastard had only let him leave with enough cigarettes to last him 3 days at best. He’d even admitted to having an entire months worth of cigarettes stashed in his bunker. The sly git had winked his one good eye and said, “It’ll give you the incentive to come find me again.”

Cheeky fucker! Enticing him over with the promise of cigarettes but then holding them at ransom.

He rolled his cigarette along his mouth and began the long ascent up the winding stone steps of the tower. It was colder inside the actual Lighthouse tower, almost colder than it was outside. There wasn’t much between the stones and the wind outside, allowing the chill to bleed into the framework and freeze the walls. His breath misted in front of his face as his thoughts returned to his dinner with the other Keepers earlier.

It had been very eventful to say the least. What with everyone prying him for information. Like a loud fanboy, Franky had been dying for all the details. His eyes sparkling with excitement at the thought of some gossip. Robin had been more clever in her prying, asking him leading questions. All the while her eyes closely watched his body for the slightest twitch or hint.

“Did you meet the Shepherd?”

He had tilted his head away, scooping a good portion of mash and gravy.

“I think he did!” Franky added, drumming his knuckles along the wooden table.

“I wonder what you got up to. All alone with the Shepherd?” Robin teased her tone implying something ‘dirty’ had been going on.

Sanji nearly choked on his mouthful of mash and veg.

Nami’s listened rapt to the conversation. It seemed the bout of Isle gossip had brightened her mood a little. She even wore a playful expression.

“OOOH something did happen, go on Bro give us the dirt!”

Nami smiled, she felt up to joining in on the fun, “Did you kiss him?”

“WHAT!?” Instantly his face flushed red and he thwacked his knee off the underside of the table in his hurry to get up and away. He hurriedly dropped his plate into the sink, “No, No,” He turned back to face the three devils watching him with huge smiles, “Nothing like that happened!”

Robin and Nami shared looks, the smiles across their faces growing wide.

In a huff, he stormed out of the kitchen, “I’m going on Light Duty.”

Out of his ear shot Nami said with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes, “How about we start the betting at 10?”

Franky slapped several money notes down on the centre of the table, “Twenty quid says within the week they’ll be screwing.”

Robin laughed, patting her husband on the arm. Setting down her own wad of notes she said, “I give it 2 weeks”

*

Several days later the sun rose signalling the end of his shift. Massaging his temples he groaned, his head pounding. The night in the Tower had been so long and tedious. His only company had been the whirring sounds of the Aerobeacon. At one point he’d thought the annoying mechanical clicks were going to drive him mad. To pass the time he had even brought a book up with him. But in the dimly lit room it had been nearly impossible to read anything and all the squinting had only added to his headache. All in all he was dying to hit the sack and sleep forever. The only flaw to this plan was that he was once again out of cigarettes. And his only opportunity to get more was to go now while it was still daylight. If he fell asleep now he risked sleeping past dark. Zoro’s warning about not leaving the compound at night was stuck firmly in his mind. Not to mention that even in daylight he had almost toppled over the edge of the cliff.

He scrubbed a hand tiredly over his face, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes. Fuck it, he’d go now, get the cigarettes and then promptly return to bed. Trundling tiredly along the hilltop he headed to the area of sheep, his best bet for finding Zoro. With every step he took his back ached from sitting in a chair all night and his head pounded.

 It didn’t take long for him to arrive back at the ‘secret garden’ as he had dubbed it. The sheep watched him carefully, his movements slow and stiff. Anger was beginning to boil in his blood spurred on by his exhausted thoughts.

_I should be in bed! I should be asleep, but no that bastard just couldn’t let me take a month’s supply, NO! He had to be a stubborn shit and make everything twice as difficult for me! Fucking shitty Shepherd! He’s probably having a nap in the grass. Lazy bastard!_

He had it in his mind to vent his anger out on the sheep, curse them black and blue for staring at him with their creepy black eyes. When he finally spotted Zoro. Watched him rise up languidly from his spot behind the rock and climb on top of it. Settling himself down crossed legged. His arms folded and his body language lazy. “You’re early.”

He marched right up to him not stopping until he had one boot on his stupid shitty rock. He could feel flames in his eyes and he was in such a bad mood from the lack of sleep that he barely managed to utter two words, “Cigarettes NOW.”

Zoro smiled and easily pulled a carton out from the breast pocket of his coat. He held the carton out just as Sanji grabbed it.

This time however Zoro did not let go. Sanji glared at him, swearing he could feel a vein popping on his neck. He let his glare pierce Zoro’s one eye, making it very clear, **to fucking let go**.

Zoro stared him down, his expression oddly serious and when he spoke his voice was quiet, “If I give you the whole stash, do you promise to come back?”

Sanji blinked, taken aback by the request, he felt his grip loosen on the carton before he remembered the reason he was there and exactly whose fault it was that he was exhausted. He yanked the carton free and in one swift movement had a cigarette whipped out and between his lips.

Impressed Zoro watched him, his gaze fixated on Sanji’s mouth. Almost mesmerized by pale chapped lips that deftly manoeuvred the slim cigarette between them.

Clicking his lighter, Sanji lighted up and instantaneously felt all his muscles loosen just as he got that rush of nicotine.

Zoro leaned back on his rock, his arms behind him supporting up his body. He was the image of quiet intrigue. His gaze never leaving Sanji’s mouth. Watching his lips pull taut and suck to inhale and relax to exhale.

It became quiet then, the world narrowing down to simple inhaling and exhaling. Billows of smoke drifted and lost their way in the breeze. Tall stalks of grass rustled under the trots and bleats of the sheep.

 Before Sanji even knew what he was doing he’d slumped down on to the grass. Propping his upper back up along the rock. Zoro sat just above him, his feet and legs within touching distance.

 He adjusted his trapper hat, cushioning his head from the hard rock like a pillow. Closing his eyes, his senses faded to just the taste of cloves nipping his taste buds. He was so sleepy, he could just drift off right here. No, no….. he’d just rest a moment. Rest his eyes.

His breathing evened out and sound faded away as he fell into a light slumber.

Vaguely he was aware of his surroundings as he slept. The long stalks of grass surrounding him and blanketing him from the cold wind. His thick coat repelling the damp and keeping his body warm.

Drowsily he felt something, or was he dreaming? He felt the sensation of something being removed from his mouth. Blearily he opened one eye.

Zoro was next to him. And he had thieved his cigarette, holding it hostage between his fingers. Tapping the flame out on the rock, the red tip faded to a dull black. He stuck the unlit cigarette between his sharp canine teeth, rolling it in his mouth. He gave Sanji a fond shake of his head. Had the idiot really fallen asleep in the grass? He talked quietly then, his voice carrying over the breeze like dry leaves in the air, “Do you promise?”

Without opening his eyes, Sanji murmured his voice thick with sleep, “I promise.”

*

With a loud yawn he awoke. The first thing he saw was the sun high in the sky partially hidden by dark thick puddles of clouds. Where the hell was he? His body felt heavy as he sluggishly pulled himself up into a sitting position. A thick blanket of some sort slid off him. He gripped the corner of it, examining it. The outside seemed to be made from animal hide and the inside wool. Sheep’s wool. He turned his head, his senses beginning to return to him.

“Morning sleepy head.” A voice drawled above him. “Or should I say evening?”

He turned around, his vision still bleary with sleep and his eyes heavy. Zoro was resting above him on the rock. He was dressed in only a white undershirt, trousers and hat.

Just like that it clicked in his head that his makeshift blanket was none other than Zoro’s coat.

He stared at Zoro. Without the thick heavy coat he could see the other man’s body better. That he was built thick with strong arms sporting corded muscles and broad shoulders. Sanji swallowed, his eyes lingering a little too long at the ‘V’ in the middle of the man’s shirt. It was low enough that it allowed a little of his chest to be revealed.

 Realising that he was staring and that he stupidly had blades of grass stuck to him. He hurriedly gathered himself to his feet, the cold wind hitting him with a sharp slap. Shit it was freezing, he looked up at the dark clouds. It felt cold enough to snow. He looked back to Zoro sitting there without his coat. How? Was he made of stone or something and therefore just impervious to the cold? Shaking his head he held out Zoro’s coat to him.

Zoro rose to his feet and held out his arms in the manner a child would when being dressed by their parent.

Sanji gave him a sceptical look. He couldn’t really be implying that he wanted Sanji to dress him? A retort about childish behaviour was on the tip of his tongue. He bit it back and held out the coat, arranging one sleeve. _Zoro had a stash of cigarettes, he reminded himself._ He took Zoro’s arm, his hand travelling along his skin. Such a glorious tan colour and surprisingly hairless.

From his touch Zoro shivered, as Sanji wound his hand along his arm. Gripping his wrist he coaxed his hand inside through the sleeve. He let go of Zoro’s wrist and with both his hands pulled the coat from the sleeve up to Zoro’s shoulders. He stopped at Zoro’s neck noticing how the woolly lapel felt soft.

Deftly he walked behind Zoro, draping the coat along his back to his other shoulder. Lifting Zoro’s unclothed hand in his own, he bent his arm up to meet the coat sleeve. He noticed in that moment how Zoro shivered each time he touched his skin and how his cheeks had pinked from when he’d gripped his hand. Purposely and slowly he let his fingers glide along Zoro’s arm, leaving a trail of warmth behind. He knew how to flirt, how to seduce and Zoro was very attractive. He splayed his fingers wide and let the pads of his fingers run a trail back up Zoro’s bare arm, all the while watching his reaction.

Zoro did not break eye contact from Sanji, his chest rising deeply as the other man’s hand travelled along his skin.

Smiling Sanji slotted Zoro’s bare hand into the sleeve. It was a little more difficult to do the last arm, the coat straining across his broad shoulders. The tips of Zoro’s fingers poked free from the cuff and Sanji dipped his hand in from the entrance. Intertwining their fingers he led Zoro’s hand free. The sleeve of the coat bunched up along on his arm, it needed pulled up to his shoulder. But still they stood there holding hands. The cold breeze nipped their skin, tingling Sanji’s cheeks a pale shade of pink. Or was he blushing? He’d never admit it.

It was almost like they had just performed some bizarre dance or ritual. Gently he raised their joined hands and brought them up to his shoulder. He patted their hands, signalling for Zoro to let go.

He untwined their fingers and took hold of Sanji’s shoulder instead. Taking the incentive he placed his other hand on Sanji’s free shoulder.

Sanji reached forward and gripped the woollen lapels of Zoro’s coat hanging loose along his body and flapping in the breeze. He gave them a fierce tug towards himself, pulling Zoro closer to him.

Zoro pressed closer, angling his face so that their lips would meet.

Playfully Sanji ducked his head, and crouched down. He wasn’t that easy! He gripped the last button on Zoro’s coat, pinning the button to its matching button hole. Slowly he worked his way up. All the while Zoro kept a firm grip on his shoulders, his fingers massaging and pressing.

He paused when he had reached the last three buttons and was standing upright again. His hands left the buttons and gripped the woolly lapels, appreciating the softness in contrast to the smooth animal hide. The wind picked up, in a fierce rush, whipping petals free from the wildflowers. They billowed in the air, a glitter of pink and gold. The two men ignored the wind, keeping their eyes fixed on each other. The rich scent of wild flowers became stronger, floating around them and enveloping them.

Sanji completed two more buttons, leaving only one. His hands were higher, resting just on Zoro’s neck area. He felt the hands on his own shoulders travel to his neck and cold fingers press into his exposed neckline, he shuddered at the cold touch as his own fingers fisted in the wool.

 Just as he buttoned the very last button, the hands around his neck rose up and gripped his face pulling him forward. Their lips crashed together, the sound of the wind howling, flower petals scattering all around them.

He pulled Zoro closer, wrapping an arm tightly around his middle. The man felt so sturdy so strong, he could feel the power and muscle in his core.

Pressing into him, Zoro nipped Sanji’s lips with his teeth.

Zoro tasted like how the air smelled. Wet like rainwater and with a hint of wild flowers. He pushed back into Zoro, their kiss gaining momentum; shoving him into the rock. His back whacked off it and he let out a pleased gasp.

Sanji took that moment to seal his mouth to his, his tongue exploring, feeling those hard teeth. Their underside rough and sharp. Zoro’s hand came up behind him, his hand trailing up the nape of his neck, finding the strands of blonde hair underneath his hat. He fisted his fingers in the hair, knocking Sanji’s hat free.

The wind blew his hair awry, his hat travelling a short distance before landing in a clump of grass. He could care less about the hat. Zoro was pulling his hair, and God it felt good. He audibly gasped, and stuck his nails into the back of Zoro’s neck. The other man hissed and tangled more fingers in blonde hair. For a moment, they kissed and panted heavily, their breath misting in the wind.

When they pulled back, Sanji’s whole face was red, his cheeks singed pink. His lips felt swollen in the places they’d be nipped. Zoro spoke then, his voice low and gravelly, “You taste like smoke,” He leaned in pressing their lips together again, “And you kiss like you’ve been set on fire.”

He wasn’t able to reply as Zoro devoured his mouth again, licking and sucking.

Eventually the kiss came to an end, Zoro’s finger’s detangling from Sanji’s hair, but his hand floated down to his neck resting there, feeling Sanji’s pulse thump under his fingers.

Sanji looked up to the sky, beginning to feel the spatter of rainfall. It wouldn’t take long until it became a downpour. Shit just how long had he been asleep? It looked like it’d be dark within the hour. The others were bound to be worried about him.

“I have to get back,” he said, his voice sounded fucked and raspy.

Zoro nodded, but the twist in his mouth, said he didn’t want him to go.

Sanji pulled away, Zoro’s hand falling free. He bent down and grabbed his hat and without saying goodbye hurriedly rushed away towards the compound. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Zoro, standing, his two arms handing limply at his side. He looked almost forlorn. A stab of guilt struck him. Fuck, he turned on his heel, running back to the other man; grabbing him quickly by the nape of his neck he pressed a fierce kiss to his lips. “I promised didn’t I?”

*

Inside the Lighthouse compound he lit his third cigarette. He leant back against the cold tower the railing offering some shelter from the pelting rain beating down furiously. He knew from the moment he’d met Zoro that there had been this spark of interest. And now it had bloomed into a fire, maybe too quickly. He scrubbed the fine hairs on his chin, feeling the bristles tickle his fingers. He could still taste him; still feel his touch across his skin. It was like he had been marked, tattooed. And he wanted more. Shit he wanted so much more. He wanted nothing but to go back down to that rock and have Zoro pin him down and take him.

He wasn’t normally like this, usually he lusted after women and more often than not he was turned down. The few men he had been with, they had taken it slow, taking the time to develop a level of trust. But with Zoro he had thrown all caution to the wind. Like a wild fire doing as it wished without consequences.

His new predicament was how to hide this blossoming romance from the others. With Robin’s super perceiving eyes, she’d take one look at him and know instantly. It was why he was still standing out in the rain, even though he knew dinner was cooking. He exhaled. Dinner was going to be another barrage of questions and excitement. It was tough being the only interesting one on the Isle.

*

Seated around the kitchen table he could feel the thrum of curiosity practically vibrating off the others. Franky looked like he could barely contain himself, the grin huge on his face. Currently he padded around the table scooping portions of roast beef and mash onto each member’s plate. Franky was definitely eccentric, it was freezing outside and cold inside the main building. Yet here he was walking around in bare feet and light underclothing. It was crazy, like he was a robot or something that didn’t feel the cold.

Sanji picked up his knife and fork cutting himself a chunk from his roast beef. It was tough and dry, it seemed Franky had over cooked it. But food was food, and they did not waste anything. Especially at this point, this was their last meal consisting of fresh meat. Meat was always the first to perish, next it would be the diary. Yup pretty soon he’d be making himself cups of tea with condensed milk from a tin. The stuff was so sickly sweet; it definitely took a while getting used to.

“So are we gonna talk about the elephant in the room or…?” Nami asked. Silverware in hand she subtly poked her slice of overcooked roast beef.

“The elephant?? I may be bigger than everyone here but I’m not that big!” Franky said offended.

Nami batted him on the shoulder, “Not you!”

Robin gave him an endearing squeeze of his upper arm, “You’re _my_ elephant.”

Franky gushed, his head curling into his shoulder in delight.

“No,” Nami shook her head fondly, “I was talking about you Sanji.”

He looked up from his meal, a forkful of mash and roast beef ready to go. “Me?”

“Don’t give us that look, we know you got _some_!” She twiddled her hair with her fingers and winked.

The mash fell off his fork with a fumhp sound, “Wha-What no, no we didn’t we only kissed.”

In a moment of unison all three members expressed their delight at the revealed news. Nami’s eyes widened her huge amber eyes glittering, her eyelashes fluttering. Her mouth a pretty ‘O’ shape.

Robin clamped her hands to her face, an ecstatic grin in place.

Franky bounced in his seat. He reached a large arm out giving Sanji a firm shake and pat on the shoulder, “OMG Bro I’m so proud of you!”

Nami laughed, “Got’cha. I didn’t know you’d kissed until you’d said!”

The three chattered enthusiastically.

He hung his head, his face red and his ears pink. He was gonna die from embarrassment. This Isle was worse than being on a reality tv show. Everyone knew everything about everybody. Nothing could be kept private. It was just as he wallowing in his self pity that his ears picked up a choice phrase.

“…. Pay up, I had a week so mine was the closest.” Franky said.

Nami wiggled her finger, sticking her tongue out, “Ah ah, they only kissed. We betted on how long it would take for them to do it.”

Sanji rose up from his seat his knife and fork clattering on the table, his voice was taut with disbelief, “You have a betting pool,” his voice rose in volume, his anger growing, “on whether or not I’m gonna fuck the Shepherd??”

“Maybe he’ll shag you,” Nami joked whispered under her voice. Franky heard her and broke into gruff laughter.

That was it. He was done. He was getting off this shitty Isle. He didn’t give a fuck if he had to swim back to the mainland, he was going. He said as much to the three, only with way more expletives and violence in his tone.

“Aw calm down, Bro,” Franky said, completely unaffected by Sanji’s rage fit, “It’s only a bit of fun. You know how boring it can get in this line of work.”

Nami grabbed Sanji by the arm, pulling him back down to his seat, “Yep, and look on the bright side at least the person you like is actually on the Isle with you.” She said with false cheer. And that shut everybody up as fast as a strike of lightning. They tried to resume eating, the good mood deflated. The only noise their cutlery clinking on plates.

Robin finally broke the awkward tension, “So when are you going to see him again?”

Sanji looked thoughtful for a moment. Zoro had given him the whole carton of cigarettes and said he’d drop the entire stash outside the Lighthouse compound tomorrow. That it’d be waiting for him in the morning. So unless he met him in the morning, he really didn’t have an excuse to go see him and he had kinda been neglecting the lighthouse and his duties. Not to mention he still hadn’t finished painting the stripe pattern.

_Do you promise?_

He paused, his eyes blinking as the phrase in that low gravelly tone flitted in his mind. It occurred to him then, that maybe Zoro was lonely. Here the four of them were gathered around the dinner table enjoying a meal and laughs. Who did Zoro have to talk to, the sheep?

Nami waved a hand over his face. “Earth to Space Cadet.”

He blinked, and then nodded, his eyes still picturing Zoro, “Um yeah,” He cleared his throat, “Yeah I’ll be seeing him soon.”

Robin clapped her hands together, “Brilliant! Any chance you could do me one little favour?”

Sanji cocked his head, wondering just what it entailed and if he was going to regret it. But you know, he never could turn down the request of a beautiful woman.

 

*

That night Sanji returned to his sleeping quarters or cupboard room as he had dubbed it. He walked hesitantly into the room. It had been several nights, maybe even a week since the odd occurrence. He hadn’t slept in his bunk preferring to sleep on the coach in the open living room. But he had seen the concerned looks in his direction from Robin and Franky. Thankfully they had never asked outright but he knew that they were wondering what was wrong.

So for the sake of retaining some sense of normalcy he had returned to his bunk. His heart rate had quickened and he felt his eyes dart around the dark little room. The door was left open a crack, allowing the light from the hallway to seep in. He eyed it wearily over his shoulder, he wanted it left open, so he wouldn’t feel trapped but what if the door slammed again? What if leaving it open was the reason it had been slammed. No no, he shook that thought away. What his brain had tried to imply there was that something or someone had slammed it. And if it wasn’t Nami, Franky or Robin… then who was it? He didn’t even want to think the word, _Ghost._

He felt his skin crawl along his neck as he lowered himself into the bunk, like he was sentencing himself to death.

_Think pleasant thoughts, he repeated to himself in his head, pleasant thoughts._

But the memories of the supernatural event kept repeating. He couldn’t relax, he felt his muscles stiffening, his fingers clenching. He needed to calm the fuck down. He was a man Goddamnit! Rolling onto his side he faced the stone wall. Squeezing his eyes shut, he counted in his head in an attempt to quickly fall asleep.

1

2

3

The numbers in his mind transformed into Sheep. Fluffy balls of cotton jumping over a fence.

4 Sheep

5 Sheep jumped over

The visual imagery managed to calm him a little. His mind wandered to the real sheep just outside. Gathered together in a bundle on the grass, their thick woolly fleeces keeping them warm. The moon would be bright tonight, her light bathing them as the stars glittered in the night sky. He realised then that in his imaginary field that Zoro was there too. Perched on his rock like usual, looking up at the night sky, his tan skin glowing as though it had been kissed by the moon.

Absently he wondered if Zoro counted the stars at night. If he could pick out constellations among the thousand of tiny stars. Like the Polaris Star or the Plough that lay low just above the line of the horizon. Its stars travelling upwards into the unmistakable shape of a saucepan. Lying beneath all those stars in the night sky, it had to be idyllic.

Sanji smiled, without realising he had relaxed, his arms loosely holding the spare pillow, He brought it up to his chin. He was being silly of course, Zoro had a bunker. There was no way he spent the night outside. Still it was a nice picture to imagine. He breathed deeply. Picturing Zoro’s face, that bold grin he always wore. How warm and smooth his lips had felt under his, how rich he had tasted. How the strong scent of wildflowers seemed to ripple throughout him. His mind focused on the hint of pectoral muscles he had seen kept hidden snugly under Zoro’s undershirt. Shit, he sucked his top lip into his mouth, imagining himself kissing down along that neck, till he reached the firm round bump of muscle. His fingers would travel lower until rising over a perky nub.

He felt a stirring in his groin and warmth burning in his face. His body was beginning to react to his fantasy. Opening his eyes he glanced back over his shoulder. The door remained open; nothing sinister appeared to be in the room. He guessed he really had just been sleep deprived that night. Listening to the stillness and quiet of the night he realised that he was alone in the lighthouse. Nami was at the Radio tower and Franky and Robin had retired to their cottage. He could relieve himself if he wanted. Who knew when he’d get the chance again? Fuck it. A good wank would put him right over to sleep.

Watching over his shoulder, he settled himself up onto his knees, the blanket draped around his shoulders, sheltering him. He pulled the spare pillow, down towards him, the fabric softly rustling in the room. Slipping it between his legs, he laid down on top of it. Shamelessly pressing his aching groin into the spongy pillow. Biting his lip he stretched himself forward gripping the end of his mattress. Stretched out like that his muscles hummed in pleasure. Slowly he rocked his hips back and forth. With closed eyes and mouth slightly agape he pictured Zoro. Pictured his heavy firm body on top of him. Pressing and pushing him flat into the mattress. He sighed out loud, his arousal sparking. Quickly he buried his face in his other pillow to muffle any noise, his cheeks growing pink from his hot breath. Rolling his hips faster he imagined strong hands gripping his hips. Thick fingers gripping and squeezing his ass.

Gasping audibly, his dick was hard and tight in his pants. He released one hand from its firm grip on the mattress. Slipping it down under himself until he reached inside his boxers. Taking his dick in his hand, he pressed his face into the pillow, muffling his voice as best as he could. Running his hand up and down, the heat from his skin and the pressure and friction from the trapped pillow was agony and bliss combined. But he needed more, something to help him reach his max. He imagined it was Zoro’s hand gripping him, telling him how good he was, how sexy he looked bent over, with his face in the pillow.

In the back of his mind he heard the words, “Do you promise?” in a low thick gravelly whisper. Just like that he met his climax. Moaning lowly into his pillow, he lay there relishing the feeling of his release travelling along his veins like streams of light.

Eventually he pulled his hand free, sticky with his own mess. He groaned, the only bathroom in the compound was an outhouse. Unwilling to leave his warm bunk in his lax state he wiped his hand on th abused pillow. He’d peel the pillowcase off in the morning and wash it, hopefully before any of the others were up. Rolling back onto his side, he kicked the abused pillow onto the floor. His body and mind sated, he drifted asleep.

 

 

*

Roughly a week later Sanji and Robin wrapped up warm and set out from the hilltop. During the passing week he had been to see Zoro several times, each visit ending with more casual talking and kissing. The weather seemed milder than usual for early December. For once the sky almost looked blue instead of its usual miserable grey. Still the clouds were there, high and lumpy in the sky like a persistent blanket. It just meant there was more rain on the way, a constant flow of rain like a tap being flipped on and off at will by a bored child.

They reached the bottom of the embankment. The grass damp and springy under their feet. This was were they had decided go their separate ways as promised to Robin for her favour. He clapped her reassuring on the upper arm, “Be careful now.”

She smiled, her eyes barely containing their excitement, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

He nodded, hoping she was right.

They parted ways, Robin skimming quickly along the embankment until she was out of sight.

Jumping down the embankment he landed easily on the field of grass. The sheep perked up at his arrival, turning to look his way. But for once they weren’t creepy, instead eyeing him eagerly. One particular sheep with horns approached him. It walked funny, almost with a limp. As it neared him, he worryingly realised just how big it was, roughly the full height of his hip. And he had long legs! This sheep had horns so that made it a guy sheep right?  Well it was big, wide and almost brutish in appearance with a thick bulky yellowing woolly coat.

Despite his initial reaction to get the hell away he reached out and patted the Ram’s back. Unexpectedly the wool wasn’t soft like he’d imagined but coarse and almost wiry in texture.

The Ram suddenly butted his thigh with its horns.

Immediately he backed away, “All right, my bad. I won’t pet you again.” He held his hands placatingly up in the air. The last thing he wanted was to get mauled by horns.

That was when he heard low laughter carrying over the wind. He turned to the source spying Zoro standing with his arms folded watching the scene with a huge grin. He continued laughing and approached Sanji.

Immediately he felt annoyed. It didn’t matter that he and Zoro were romantically involved with each other. Shit was that even the right term? What were they to each other? Boyfriends or just someone to mess around with to pass the time? His gut sunk at the latter… he liked Zoro, maybe even more than just like. To think that maybe Zoro only viewed him as a bit of fun, stung awfully. But still how did he bring the subject up without sounding needy?  

Zoro reached out for him with fingerless gloved hands and squeezed his shoulder.

And of course watching those tan hands, feeling those fingers squeezing him brought back memories of his little ‘self-love’ session. Instantly he reddened, his mind remembering just what those tan hands had done to him in his fantasy.

Of course Zoro picked up on it, right away. His eyebrow lifted and a smirk grew wide on his face. The hand on Sanji’s shoulder travelled up to his neck, and twiddled with the loose strands of blonde hair from under his trapper hat. “Did you miss me?”

“No.” He lied and quickly turned his back to Zoro. His teeth worrying the cigarette in his mouth. What the fuck was he doing? He wasn’t some blushing bimbo, he was cool and collected. For fucks sake he and Zoro had made out plenty of times in this very field so why did his cheeks flush every single time! Alright, come on Sanji, be cool. He straightened himself up and turned back around to face Zoro. This time he was going to make him blush with his manly charms of seduction. Subtly he changed his body language, broadening his shoulders as he pointed his toes, elongating his leg in a fake stretch.

Zoro took the bait. An intense look in his eye as it slowly travelled up his leg.

His manly charms were working perfectly until the Ram butted in again. Whacking him in the backside with its horns. Stumbling over, he righted himself up. Rubbing his sore backside, he glared at the Ram. Damn stupid thing had it out for him!

Laughing loudly, Zoro almost toppled over as he clutched his side. “I think he likes you!”

Sanji scowled and glared at the ram that had just ruined his seduction attempt. He gritted his cigarette between his teeth, “Yeah well, have you seen the way it’s limping? Doubt you’ll have to put it down.” He said the last three words directly to the Ram’s large fuzzy face. Just to make sure it knew that he was making a threat on its life.

Zoro’s laughter grew in volume and between barks of laughter he said, “You’d be limping too if you’d just shagged 27 sheep.”

Sanji’s jaw dropped, nearly dropping his cigarette. He spoke straight to the Ram, “You dirty bastard, having 27 lady sheep on the go.” He glared back at Zoro, “What are you running? Some kind of sheep harem?”

Rolling his eye, Zoro said, “You idiot. Figures you don’t know nothing about sheep.” He gestured to the Ram, “You can’t keep two rams together. They’ll beat each other to the death in competition over the females.” His tone was slightly snide as though this was the most obvious fact in the world and only a moron wouldn’t know.

Sanji didn’t like his tone. He said as much and gave the other man a shove. Zoro stumbled a step and in a good swing shoved him back. This continued on, the two shoving and pushing each other in a playful manner.

Convinced the two were duelling in typical Ram fashion, the ram trotted back to its flock.

It seemed that he and Zoro were equally matched. Twisting each other’s arms, their heels dug deep into the ground in strain to push over the other. It was a no go. And then in a spark of ingenuity Zoro intertwined their fingers, gripping and squeezing Sanji’s palm.

Sanji focused his gaze on their conjoined fingers, the fabric of Zoro’s fingerless gloves scratchy.

With Sanji distracted, Zoro pulled backwards and let himself drop to the ground. Their hands still connected Sanji was forced to follow and landed with a thump on top of him. The grass popped up around them, encircling them in its leafy arms. Together they breathed heavily for a moment from the exertion of their tousle. The sounds of sheep bleating and birds calling became muted in the grass nest.

Looking down at the face below him, Sanji noticed how in this light he could see almost rich shades of orange and speckles of amber in Zoro’s eye. He pulled one of his hands free from Zoro’s. With gentle feather light touches he trailed the pads of his fingers up and along his face. Delicately tracing along the faded scar over Zoro’s closed eye. It felt raised and smooth, his finger rising over the bump of the closed eyelid. He pulled his other hand free and splayed the tips of his fingers on Zoro’s lips. Broader and thicker than his own, he felt them firm up into a pout, pressing a kiss to his fingers.

He pulled his hand away and Zoro smiled. Then Sanji gripped his chin and in one swift movement  pressed his mouth to the other, excitement rushing in his veins. Zoro’s lips felt dry and rough, sticking together slightly. Their noses bumping he pulled back an inch, their breath mixing.

With a sudden flip, Zoro rolled them over. The long feathers of grass caressing along the lines of their bodies as they moved. He stopped when he had Sanji pinned beneath him, clumps of wild flowers sprouting up all around him in vivid reds and gold. He held his breath. Framed in soft flowers, Sanji’s blue eyes were enhanced by the colours, he looked ethereal, otherworldly, like a being that had escaped from a painting. From their tousle flower petals had shaken loose and found a new home tangled up in his blonde hair. Zoro lowered himself down, sensually kissing along Sanji’s jaw line. Wanting to convey just how beautiful he was with kisses alone. His usual taste was mixed with the spice of wild flowers; their strong scent painting a story along his pale skin.

Sanji moaned eagerly, trying to pull Zoro as close to him as possible, desiring more and more contact. He gripped and tugged the woollen lapels of Zoro’s coat, wanting it off, wanting to be closer to him, to feel his warm skin underneath. Memories of his fantasy flitted into his mind. He wanted to take whatever this was between them further than just kissing.

The piercing scream of a woman interrupted the quiet of the Isle.

They pulled apart in alarm, looking towards the direction of the Ruin.

In a cacophony the sheep began to bleat loudly. Their normal soft bleats distorted and guttural, it almost sounded like lost souls screaming.

Sanji knew in that moment, that something had happened to Robin.       

*

 

 

To be Continued…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French Translation  
> Merde = Shit.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has commented and left kudos so far! I really appreciate the feedback. I hope you liked this chapter and there is more to come!
> 
> Also if you like, I'm on tumblr, - CreepyCoat. I post mentions of chapter progress along with other stuff and I'm always up for a chat! <3


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it rains, it pours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Must apologize for very delayed chapter update.  
> I started a new job in April, 10 hour night shifts.  
> Definitely took a while for me to adjust and find proper time to write.  
> ~  
> My darling AlfredKvaak was so very kind to be the first to read and check this chapter.  
> I would be lost without your insight, thank you Ducky <3  
> ~  
> Here it is at long last.  
> Hopefully it won't take me as long to update from now on.  
> Enjoy! :3

His breath thundered, his heart pumping frantically. Wild stalks of grass whipped harshly along his legs. He couldn’t run fast enough. The frightening sound of Robin’s scream was still ringing in his ear.

Zoro followed along at a slower pace behind him. Strangely he seemed to be keeping his distance, his expression masked. But Sanji didn’t have time to wonder what that meant.

The sheep which had been idle until that moment broke out into a fast trot. He’d never seen them so agitated before. Their cloven hooves beat a harsh mantra into the ground, trampling the wild flowers in their wake. In such frenzy their calls became distorted, sounding like old men roaring in a dead language. The cacophony of noise was obscene compared to the gentle bleats he had grown used to. Never in his life did he ever think that he would find sheep terrifying.

The grass whipped along his frame, reaching lower to his knees as he arrived at the edge of the area with the Ruins. He glanced back. Their trapper hats lay forgotten in the grass. A wash of colour had spread over the field from the many scattered flower petals. The sheep had gathered into one large mound. He stopped for a second, as twenty-eight pairs of dark marbled eyes stared back at him.

They were silent now, watching.

Zoro slowed to a stop next to him, and looked over his shoulder. Upon seeing the strange formation of sheep, a wave of alarm seemed to ripple within him. He swallowed. His coat still hung unbuttoned on his frame, the light breeze gently buffering it.

Sanji watched him in the corner of his eye; he could sense there was something the other man wasn’t saying. But there wasn’t time for that. He turned on his heel and strode quickly toward the Ruin. It lay upon the barren ground, its hollow entrance open like a mouth in lull of a yawn.

Suddenly something had a hold on him from the back of his collar. His coat rode up pressing into his throat and he found himself being pulled backward. Losing his balance, he splayed his feet apart to right himself. Awkwardly he twisted himself around to glare at the face of the one who had grabbed him.

Zoro stared back at him, his face serious. His grip still firm on Sanji’s collar, he gave another smaller tug and nodded with his head back towards the field.

Momentarily baffled by what was happening. Sanji tried to whack the offending hand away. It proved difficult as his body and coat were twisted around. And when Zoro didn’t immediately release him, he felt a rage begin to build beneath his skin. He pulled again against the firm grip, and he made it very clear by the glare on his face, that if Zoro did not let go this time, there would be trouble.

But Zoro didn’t.

Sanji fixed him with an incredulous look. What the hell was going on?  His thoughts whirled in his mind as he tried to make sense of Zoro’s actions. Did he want them to go back to the field to check on the sheep? They didn’t have time for that! For shitty sheep! Robin _, a human being_ , no **_his friend_** was in danger!

The sound of a woman in distress curled and carried in the dead little breeze.

His eyes widened, his lips forming her name, ‘Robin.’  With sheer force he ripped himself free of Zoro’s grip. He managed only a couple of steps before he was captured again.

In a manic urgency Zoro’s hand snapped back around Sanji’s coat collar, embedding his fingers deep into the material. Time seemed to freeze and his gaze became focused on the coat. In his mind it occurred to him that something big was about to happen, something irreversible. And he wasn’t sure if he could stop it. His fingers strained, pulling deep wrinkles into the fabric as Sanji literally tried to pull away. He wouldn’t let go.

With an abrupt snap, his fingers lost their grip and Sanji was gone.

 His hand remained outstretched for a moment, fingers limply reaching out for Sanji. His fingertips stung with friction burn. He felt his stomach sink, his mind shutting down as the mental image of Sanji entering the Ruin threatened to become reality. His shoulders sagged as an over whelming sense of defeat settled heavily on him. His lips formed a rough inaudible, ‘No!’

Sanji ran, his feet beating down on the craggy ground. Eyes fixed on the Ruin, he was so close. And then all of a sudden his vision was spinning, the horizon and grey sky a spiral. The Ruin slanted upside down as he thwacked bodily onto the hard uneven ground. With the wind knocked from him, his head continued to spin. It took a good minute to put together what had just happened. He felt the hard dirt beneath his body, a dried up stalk of grass prodding his cheek. He was lying gracelessly on his side, Zoro’s heavy body forcing him down.

With dirt smeared along his face and gravel embedded in his skin, he barely held back from shouting, “Just, what the _fuck_ are you doing?” He struggled under the weight on top of him but Zoro wouldn’t budge.

The little breeze died down entirely and he clearly heard Robin’s voice crying for help.

Anger bubbled in his chest and his lip stung like hell. He realised that the force from the fall had caused him to sink his teeth into his bottom lip. Blood pooled in his mouth, warm and coppery. He coughed and spluttered, gloopy blood mixed with saliva running thick down his chin. “Get off me,” He spat as he twisted and turned his body.

Skilfully Zoro moved with each twist and turn, managing to always keep himself on top. His hands wove around Sanji’s torso until they found purchase on his shoulders. With the full weight of his body he sat upon the other man’s chest, pressing him down into the ground.

Sanji fought with the hands holding his shoulders. He pushed this way and that, for all he was worth. In the back of his mind he couldn’t help but compare how very different this was to the way they had been entangled together just minutes ago. Although now it felt like a lifetime had passed since their tousle in the wild flowers.

“Calm down,” Zoro gritted out between clenched teeth.  

But Sanji continued to squabble and fight, his legs flaying madly underneath him. How could he be calm? His friend was in danger and for some unfathomable reason; Zoro was preventing him from helping her. 

Zoro spoke again, the words sounding harsh from between his clenched teeth, “Don’t go into the Ruin.”

The clouds above them darkened. Sanji stared up at him.

For a split second Zoro let his stoic look fall and something else slipped into his expression. And in the light of his eye and the way his lips were pulled taut, Sanji saw real fear. That flash of fear was enough to still him. He stopped struggling but his body remained poised, his back arched under the weight. His eyes flickered along Zoro’s face, trying to read into the remaining hint of fear in the corner of his eye, hidden under his stern brow.

“Why?” He found himself asking in a calm manner, that he didn’t really feel, “Why can’t we go into the Ruin?”

Zoro paused, realising that Sanji had used ‘We,’ not ‘I’. He inhaled deeply, his guts squirming, did Sanji mean, ‘himself and the screaming woman,’ or his heart stuttered, did he mean ‘him and Zoro?’ Was it possible that Sanji really thought of them as together, as a couple as ‘we’? The same way that Zoro did? A strange mix of feelings blossomed in his chest; happiness and nerves. He released the grip he had on one shoulder and tenderly raised his palm up to cup Sanji’s cheek. He frowned at the gunky spatter of blood staining his chin. Feeling remorse for being the cause of the injury, he wiped the blood away with the cuff of his sleeve, the white wool seeping a violent red.

Gritting his teeth, Sanji ignored the tender gesture. Zoro still hadn’t answered his question. He could feel where the blood had started to coagulate on his lip. In that moment he didn’t understand Zoro at all. After tackling him to the ground, preventing him from rescuing his friend, now he was behaving like a goddamn nurse? And with so much remorse and care in his eyes too!? He didn’t get it, was Zoro the good guy or the villain? Which was it? Numerous questions he’d been holding back began to bubble angrily in his mind.

“Sanji!”

He heard Robin call his name. And it was like being electrocuted on the spot. It was time for answers. He swore his tongue sizzled as he spat out questions till they sounded more like accusations. As he ranted he watched Zoro’s face fall. But he had chosen to ignore the tenderness in his expression.  After all a man who would refuse to help a woman in trouble and even go so far as to prevent her rescue was clearly wicked. He said as much, his busted lip reopening and blood trickling down his chin again. But when Zoro only stared down at him with a dejected expression without answering, Sanji clenched his hands into fists. With his legs pinned beneath his body, he resorted to something he would normally never do. Hitting hard enough to bruise, he punched and whacked Zoro’s arms and chest.  

And Zoro just accepted it, took the beating without flinching. But the hand that had been tenderly holding Sanji’s cheek returned with a newfound steel grip to his shoulder. Pushing him back down into the dirt.

 “Why can’t we enter the Ruin? Tell me!” Sanji struggled. His legs angrily thumping off the ground, “Who or what are you?” He roared, “A shepherd or something else?!”

Zoro didn’t answer.

Simultaneously they became aware of the sensation of being watched. Both men turned towards the source spotting Franky on top the embankment decked out in his oil skin coat. Only Franky was such a broad man, that his coat looked more like a shirt.  It seemed all the yelling had roused him from the lighthouse. And it was clear that he was barely holding back his fury, his glare fixed firmly on Zoro. He punched his fist into his open palm, promising a good beat down.

Sanji didn’t waste any time, “Franky, the Ruin-,” He yelled, his voice slicing through the stagnant breeze.

Zoro’s hand moved instantly in an attempt to muffle Sanji’s words.

Tan fingers pressed hard over his lips, and Sanji’s eyes watered from the stinging sensation as his torn lip was touched. Without thinking he clamped his teeth on the offending fingers.

Zoro snatched his hand back. Without thinking he dug his nails on his other hand into Sanji’s shoulder.

Sanji grunted through the pain and managed to yell, “-Robin’s in danger!”

Just like that something changed in Franky. Several expressions seemed to ripple through him. The initial anger evident in his glare morphed to confusion then blatant terror. His arms dropped loosely as the meaning of Sanji’s words clicked in his mind. _His wife was in danger._ He lurched from the embankment, practically cannon balling down without any regards to his own safety. He hit the field with a loud thump, his tiny thin legs folding under his large bulky upper body. Then in an instant like he had been jet propelled he shot forward, running for all he was worth toward the Ruin.

A little relieved that someone was finally going to Robin’s aid, Sanji narrowed his eyes, glaring up at Zoro still sat heavily on top of him. With a cruel smirk he spoke his next sentence low in his throat, the words slightly garbled from the blood in his mouth. “You’re a wolf,” He brought his hand up and fisted it in Zoro’s collar gripping the wool, but really his fingers were itching for his throat, “A cold hearted bastard in sheep’s clothing. **Wolf!** ”

Stunned by the vehemence and sheer hatred in Sanji’s voice, Zoro eased his grip for just a second.

Sanji took his chance. Hooking his elbow in under Zoro’s arm, he hit him full force in his solar plexus.

Then they were tumbling, a mess of limbs. They fought and struggled, trying to pin the other down.

Their skirmish ended with Zoro trapped beneath him. Blades of grass jutted up all around them. It seemed they had rolled back onto the field. His hand found purchase on Zoro’s throat and clamped around it. He didn’t hold back, he was furious; he wanted to beat the living daylights out of him. Squeezing so hard, his fingers felt stiff and claw like and he swore he could feel Zoro’s windpipe through his throat.

Flat on his back and pinned to the ground, Zoro batted his arm off Sanji’s side. The fist crushing his throat had him struggling just to breathe. Black dots danced in his vision. His throat screamed in pain. It was becoming difficult to move his body. Pathetically with his other hand he tried to grapple for Sanji’s face.

 _To scratch my eyes out or strangle me back?_ Sanji didn’t know. He glared down at the man beneath him. His fist constricted tighter.

Unable to breathe, Zoro wheezed. A rattling sound reverberated from somewhere within his throat. His tan skin began to darken to a blotchy red and his eye took on a glazed look.

Sanji’s fingers shook from the strain of just squeezing, his arm muscles tightening.

The waggling tan hand found purchase on his cheek. And Sanji thought for sure he’d feel nails digging into his skin in a second. But it didn’t come. Instead the hand merely rested there.

He blinked in confusion. And looked down at the man beneath him. Blades of grass speckled with his blood had been crushed by weight of their bodies. But around Zoro’s head the grass had become entangled and matted like a broken halo. The image was unsettling, foreboding even. This would be the outcome if he continued down this path; Zoro would die by his hand. Sobered by the image, he paused, his hand still on his throat. What was he doing, hurting Zoro like this?  And then it occurred to him that throughout the whole struggle Zoro had never struck him back. He’d simply fought to restrain him.

Zoro looked up at him; saw the hesitation in Sanji’s eyes. The atmosphere had grown heavy, and he saw electric sparks dance in the blackening clouds. The corner of his lips quirked upwards and his eye crinkled with fondness as he watched the sparks dance around Sanji’s face illuminating him in a pale glow.

Zoro… was smiling? Sanji released his hand.

With a harsh congested rattle Zoro inhaled.

 Sanji’s arms fell limply to his side, disbelief taking over. _Why, why did Zoro smile? Why wasn’t he afraid for his life?_ The answer struck him instantly. Zoro didn’t believe for a second that Sanji would kill him. Zoro trusted him. His felt his heart hitch and his hands tremble. He’d lost such control of his emotions that he’d almost seriously hurt him.

The feeling of warm skin stroking his cheek roused him from his mental anguish.

Gently Zoro cupped Sanji’s face with one hand. He coughed and gasped and Sanji felt the chest beneath him rumble with the effort. _Right he was still on top of him._ Carefully he lifted himself up into a crouch on the grass next to Zoro. Feelings of guilt and shame permeated in his gut as he listened to Zoro hack and splutter from just trying to breathe. He didn’t even know how to begin to apologise. But then movement caught his eye. He looked over and spotted Franky at the Ruin’s entrance, a small lithe body in his arms. The clouds black in the sky had him silhouetted, his skin ashen.

There was something seriously wrong with the sight before him. The hard stiff manner in which Franky stood and the way the body in his arms wasn’t moving.

_No. No she couldn’t be?_

His knees cracking, Sanji hurriedly rose to his feet and took an unbalanced step forward. He called out. But Franky didn’t respond to him. Instead he slowly turned away and began to climb up the embankment. The body in his arms hung silent and limp.

 _No. No. Robin couldn’t be dead! No. I heard her calling… she’d definitely been alive then. But during the fight with Zoro, when I strangled him. I never heard her, not once. What if Franky had been too late? Could she really be dead?_ His knees shook. _Was it my fault? I had agreed to her plan, to help her sneak into the Ruin._

Zoro raised himself up into a standing position. He clutched his abdomen, his coat hanging off one shoulder. He eyed Sanji carefully, they way one would watch a cornered animal. Doing his best to keep his expression neutral, he approached him. However without realising he had just blocked Sanji’s view of Franky’s retreating form.

 _My fault. My Fault. All my Fault._ The words repeated in his mind in a deafening spiral as his knees threatened to buckle.

Zoro’s face abruptly appeared before him. Sanji eyed him absently without really focusing on him. In the back of his mind he was aware that Zoro’s mouth was moving so he had to be talking. But the words weren’t registering, instead sounding like nothing more than a dull thrum.

And still the voice in his own head was growing louder. _My Fault, My Fault, My FAULT._

Realising Sanji wasn’t listening, Zoro gently touched his upper arm, and like a switch flipped Sanji reacted instantly.

In a violent manner he shoved him away. Now his attention was fully on Zoro. _No_ he argued with the voice in his head.  _No, it’s not my fault! I tried to get to her, I tried to rescue her! I would have gotten there in time, only **-**_ He pinned his eyes to Zoro’s.

Zoro watched him cautiously.

“You,” Sanji’s voice sounded hollow and hoarse like bark being painfully stripped off a tree, “You wouldn’t let me go to her!”

Zoro held up his hands in a placating manner.

Sanji took a step forward, “ **It’s your FAULT**.” He roared as he spun on one leg, slamming his other into Zoro’s side. He felt it connect with the man’s ribcage and for a split second he felt good. Felt justified at causing Zoro pain. His earlier sense of guilt was long forgotten as he attacked and kicked again.

But then a harsh burst of pain blossomed on his cheek.

In retaliation, Zoro had swung back and sunk his fist into his face.

Sanji staggered on his feet from the impact but righted himself. They eyed each other up.  He noted that Zoro’s placating hands had folded into fists.

 ** _ZORO’S FAULT_** his mind screamed. With the back of his hand he wiped the blood away from his chin and ignored how his jaw ached.  He’d settled this right here, right now, with blows. He approached at a running angle and sent his legs flying and jabbing in different directions. He was determined to break bones, rip muscles and crush his organs. He wanted Zoro to feel pain, to feel the pain he felt! His friend was dead and he’d make him pay!

Zoro’s palms flew in retaliation, trying to grab and block each of Sanji’s attacks. He had an odd calmness to him. Like his plan was to ride out the storm, to suffer the blows until Sanji wore himself out.

It didn’t take long for Sanji to realise that Zoro was not attacking him. That he was instead deflecting each blow. That angered him to no end. He lunged right at Zoro, barrelling into him; he sunk his hand into the hair at the back of his neck. Gripping a tuft, his fingernails biting into his scalp, he roughly manoeuvred Zoro by his nape until their faces were aligned and they were exchanging heated breaths.

A light drizzle started up. The dark sky wept at what was unfolding beneath her.

“Enough,” Zoro grunted, the light rain wetting his skin. His hands flew up gripping either side of Sanji’s face, cupping his cheeks, “Enough!”

Sanji swallowed at the frustration in the other man’s tone. His fingers were still tangled in the scruff of hair at his nape. The rain lapped at his face. Panting heavily he gritted out, “Answer me, why wouldn’t you let Robin or me enter the ruin?”

_Robin and me._

Zoro’s grip slackened. So Sanji didn’t mean ‘he and Zoro.’ With an ache in his chest he came to the conclusion that Sanji didn’t think of them together at all.

Sanji continued unaware, “What do you know that we don’t?” His tone rose to almost a plead, “Robin is… Robin’s,” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word. He swallowed, glaring at Zoro again, “If you could have just told us the Ruin was dangerous. I would have never let her go!”

That last sentence caught Zoro’s attention. His jaw dropped his mouth opening in shock as the unbelievable words sunk into his mind. His hands fell away from Sanji’s face.

Surprised that Zoro had let go, Sanji watched a small trickle of blood run down from his nose. Slightly pleased that he had managed to make Zoro bleed, he released his grip; loose strands of green hair stuck to his fingers.

“You knew?” Zoro said in a gruff whisper.

Sanji didn’t answer but he didn’t need to. The expression on his face confirmed it.

Zoro clasped his hands up to his head, his fingers raking down the sides of his face leaving pink marks on his skin, “You knew.” He said as an accusation and rapidly the cogs started whirring in his brain, the pieces allotting together. He stilled his hands on his head, and his expression turned hard like stone. “You knew she was going to the Ruin. You knew I wouldn’t let either of you enter!” Zoro took an angry step forward, his face dark, and the rain growing heavier. A flash in the sky signalled lightning. “You-,” as his angry and hurt thoughts grew.   _You used me! You distracted me!_  Instantly he was right up in Sanji’s personal pace gripping his shirt collar, “Is that all this was to you?”

And Sanji knew that Zoro meant ‘them,’ their strange relationship. If he could even call it a relationship. Unsure as how to answer, he remained quiet. But he knew that it wasn’t true; he hadn’t used Zoro just to get to the Ruin. And he knew he needed to say as much but the words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, he didn’t want to. Didn’t want to relieve Zoro of the emotional turmoil he was going through. Just as he would never be free from the pain of his friend’s death.

For a second Zoro’s expression crumpled into one of such pain. The thunder rumbled loudly in the sky. He steeled himself quickly and in broken rasp he said, “Is that all I was to you?”

Sanji felt his fingers twitch. _That’s not true._ The thought struck him _._

At his silence Zoro stomped away and then around in an angry agitated circle. Under his breath he muttered, “I can’t believe I fell for it.” That I _fell for you. How could I be so stupid!?_ A spike of lightning shot down in the horizon, illuminating the dark clouds like a jagged knife. Suddenly he roared out loud, ignoring his sore throat. He was furious with himself, at how idiotic he had been to listen to his heart. He turned and stared at Sanji, “I trusted you.”

The words felt like a blow to Sanji and he couldn’t think of any possible way to reply, to fix it. To make it all right. He wasn’t even sure that he wanted to, not after Zoro had stopped him from saving Robin.  Seconds ticked by and the cold rain stung his skin.

Zoro marched past him, his hands coiled into fists. He stopped only when he had just passed Sanji, “You know what, go ahead. Go into the fucking Ruin.” He cursed lowly. His last words were muted in a second rumble of thunder but Sanji still heard them, “It’s doesn’t matter now anyway, she’s opened it.” The falling rain masked the sound of his retreating footfalls. He was gone and Sanji didn’t look back.

The Ruin watched the scene unfold with a ghastly smile.

Slowly Sanji approached it, his boots trudging in the damp ground, the land marshy from the falling rain. This was what he’d wanted right? So why did it feel like such an empty victory? He reached the entrance and pressed his hand to the stone wall. It felt cold to his skin and pieces of gravel broke away and stuck to his palm. The tendrils of the creeping plants had embedded their roots firmly into the Ruin’s structure, spreading unstable cracks everywhere. Strange how the land around the Ruin was barren and craggy yet the actual building was rife with plant life. It was unnatural. The tendrils were thick and corded like fat veins leeching life from the stone work. It didn’t make sense, something had to be sustaining the plants or could the Ruin be killing the grass around it?

 He stood in the entranceway of the Ruin, but did not dare take a step inside. With the sky still darkly overcast it was nearly impossible to discern the inside with his eyes alone. He fished out a flash light from his coat pocket and with a click he shone the thin beam of light into the Ruin. It sliced through the black space, illuminating stone walls and dark creeping vines like a monstrous plant arachnid. However he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He moved the beam of light down to his feet, travelling along the stone floor. It was all smooth rock until strange large cracks appeared. They conjugated in the centre of the Ruin forming a massive gaping hole. Intrigue taking over him he stepped into the Ruin.

The first thing that hit him was a strong putrid smell. He gagged, as it choked his lungs. It was rotten, the worst thing he’d ever suffered. Worse than that time he’d accidentally broken a carton of rotten eggs. Worse than that time he’d tripped and spilled fish guts over himself. He pulled his shirt collar up and over his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to abate the smell.

Cautiously he approached the opening. Spider’s webs or low hanging leaves ghosted along the back of his neck and sent a shiver down his spine. He shone his torch light directly at the hole; he could just about make out the depth. It had to be at least 6 foot deep. He felt the ground waver beneath him and he didn’t dare take a closer step. Without warning the ground could give out. And judging by the uprooted plants and fresh dust floating in the air, Robin must have fallen through the floor. She had created the hole.

_She’s opened it now._

Zoro’s words repeated in his mind. But opened what? An ominous feeling had settled over him. He held his breath. It was the like the temperature had dropped lower. He could still hear the pitter patter of the rain on the stone work of the Ruin. But it sounded further away than it should. How was that possible? It was almost like he had stepped out from the Isle and into somewhere else. Somewhere wrong.

He held up his torch and shone it downwards into the hole. Carefully he leaned forward, doing his utmost to maintain his balance. His jaw ached under the pressure from his hand holding the shirt over his mouth and he felt blood seep into the fabric. His eyes travelled down the walls of the pit, it seemed to be carved into the ground, like it had been dug by man. His eyes reached the bottom.

He froze.

A tremble started in the base of his neck and spread to his shoulders and all the way down to his fingertips.

What he saw in the bottom of the pit, confirmed to him the nature of the smell. It was death.

He took a frantic step backward, the ground crumbling and groaning beneath his fingers. In the bottom of the pit several pairs of gormless eyes stared back at him. He shook his head. Decayed skeletons, with leathery rotted brown skin and yellowing teeth watched from below. There had to be at least twenty of them that he could see. Maybe even fifty in total. What the hell was going on?

He pulled himself together and peered in once more. The skeletons were laid out in uniform fashion. Their arms folded across their chests. It appeared to be some kind of mass burial pit. One skeleton in particular though caught his attention. It almost implored him to look at it; its jaw hung open in agony as though it could still scream even now. Its limbs were stretched up towards the top of the pit, as though reaching up. Its gnarled bony fingers were frozen by death in a claw shape. Deep furrow marks were scratched into the wall of the pit. This skeleton, no, this person. Had been buried alive and had died trying to climb out.

The ground crumbled loudly beneath him and without turning around he recklessly backed out until he was out from the tomb that was the Ruin. He landed with a thump onto his backside. The returning rain water lapped at the blood on his chin. He felt the craggy dirt beneath his fingertips, and he dug his fingernails in, dirt clogging his nail beds. He needed to do it just to confirm that he was out of there. He looked up at the black clouds, and felt the static still heavy in the air. The rain was still falling and the clouds didn’t look like they’d let up any time soon. The lightning and thunder from earlier told him that worse was yet to come. This was only the beginning.

Abruptly he rolled onto his side, retching until he’d emptied the entirety of his stomach contents. He crouched on the ground, dry heaving. The acid from his stomach burnt the back of his throat and had even travelled up into his nostrils. The raw smell of vomit assaulted his senses but it did not even compare to the rotted smell of death. The breeze returned full force, whipping his hair about. Just what had happened on this Isle? Did the skeletal dead bodies have any connection to the disappearance of the three keepers?

Gathering himself up onto shaking legs, he trudged heavily, towards the light house. Its bright stripes a guiding beacon in the dim light. The thought that burned in his mind was that Zoro had to know, he had to of known what was really going on. Why else was he guarding a Ruin full of dead bodies? It had to be a tomb of some sort but just what was it doing all the way out in an unpopulated Isle? He climbed up the embankment and felt a chill run under his skin as he remembered Robin’s words about how the Isle was said to be cursed long before the three Keepers arrived. Then this tomb had to be part of it. Robin had been right.

 

*

His footfalls heavy, Sanji trundled into the compound and took in his surroundings. It had long grown dark but the lanterns weren’t lit. Tonight was Franky’s turn for Lamp Duty but the Lamp in the Lighthouse was not lit. Shit. In circumstances such as these it was completely understandable but they still had a duty to protect the ships and lives at sea.

Approaching the couple’s cottage, he noticed that the door lay ajar. He gripped the old wooden jamb. Standing there at the door, he realised he was afraid to enter, afraid to find out if Robin was really gone. The image of Robin lying limp in Franky’s arm resurfaced in his mind and his stomach somersaulted and heaved.

Hoping for all he was worth that he was mistaken, that Robin was alright. He pressed on into the cottage, his wellington boots squeaking on the linoleum floor. The curtains had been drawn and the cottage felt dismal and gloomy. He eyed the living space; several books were neatly set out on the coffee table. One lay open next to a cold mug of tea, displaying tiny important printed text. He hurried on into the hallway and stumbled over some kind of contraption. He kicked it aside, ignoring the metallic noise it made. A bolt rattled loose and spun across the floor noisily.

Stopping before the bathroom door he saw in horror a smear of blood over the handle. He felt cold. Slowly he extended his palm and gently pressed the bathroom door, careful not to touch the blood. With a loud creaking sound it swung open.

The bathroom was small in size and looked even smaller with Franky’s large bulky body packed in. On his knees he leaned over the rim of the tub, his arms supporting Robin’s body.

Flat on her back, she lay with her neck resting over Franky’s fore arm. Some strange mix of grime and sweat coated her face and her dark hair clung in damp strands. Slicked all along the bottom of the tub was blood. It didn’t look real. That amount of blood couldn’t be real. The light coloured material of her trousers had turned a scarlet black.

The room reeked of death just like the Ruin.

Franky didn’t pay any attention to Sanji’s arrival. He rested Robin’s head on the rim of tub, gently brushing her hair aside. With his other hand he tugged off his belt and coiled it around her upper thigh, pulling it tight and buckling it. That’s when Sanji noticed the unnatural and crooked angle her lower leg was in.

Robin groaned in protest, her mouth pulling into a grimace.

Sanji felt a massive dash of relief swell in his chest. She was alive. In a terrible state but alive! He physically sagged against the tiled wall. In the back of his mind, a tiny voice whispered that perhaps he’d taken his anger out a little unfairly on Zoro. That he’d have to apologise. But he paid the voice no attention, revelling in the fact that she was alive. A new emotion swelled within him, hope. Hope that she was strong enough to hold on until they could get help.

With a large hand, Franky stroked Robin’s cheek and his words were soft, “I have to get this off, to take a look.” He whispered.

Robin groaned, her unfocused eyes opening and closing. She appeared to be in a delirious state.

Franky had such a serious look to him. Using a pocket knife he delicately pressed the blade to the hem of Robin’s leg and carefully cut down through the fabric and through the leather of her boot. The boot landed with a sickly plop into the puddle of blood.

There was a heavy intake of air.

With the boot removed and the fabric of her trouser cut away, the severity of her condition was revealed. A sharp jut of bone had broken through her flesh and skewered her leg. Her dark skin was swollen up, blood still oozing from the gash.

Sanji took a step back; his upset stomach lurching nauseatingly at the scent of copper.

Robin clenched her teeth. She blinked her eyes heavily and tried to focus on Franky’s face but it kept moving, and blurring, “Is it-?” She groaned.

“Its fine baby,” Franky lied. He did his best to keep his tone light and hid his growing fear behind a reassuring smile.

Sanji opened his mouth to speak for the first time, just as Franky turned and silenced him with one look. With underlying urgency in his tone and desperation hidden behind his eyes, he uttered two words, “Get Nami.”

Nodding once Sanji turned on his heel, running for the radio tower.

 

*

The tower was situated further up the compound at the highest point of the Isle, were the land was rocky for good grounding. Essentially the radio station was a repurposed storage unit that had been connected to the metal structure of the wire tower. It looked rather out of place, its plain and square shaped structure modern in comparison to the old Lighthouse and cottage. He approached the station and eyed the several lightning rods surrounding the building. They glinted in the static filled atmosphere and he gulped at the very real possibility of a bolt of lightning striking the tower. As if to mock him, thunder rumbled overhead.

 As he entered the station it occurred to him that he had never stepped foot inside it once the entire month he’d been on the Isle.

“Close the door,” Nami said simply without turning around.

Inside the unit it smelt strongly of coffee and old recycled air. He blinked, his eye sight adjusting to the brightly lit room.

Miss Nami looked small, sitting comfortably at a work desk that was surrounded on all sides with complex looking machinery. He eyed them in wonder, spying box-like, chunky contraptions. The entire area behind Nami’s work space was covered entirely in metal gismos, from the floor to the ceiling. In the centre of it all, an old tape recorder spun two large tape decks. It made a light clicking noise in the background of the room but it was mostly muffled by the soft whirr and hum of the other machines. Wires dangled precariously here and there from the ceiling connecting into the backs of what looked to be speakers mounted up on the wall.

Nami paused in her actions, her chin balanced on her fist. She turned to face him, the small glittering lights from a switch board reflecting on her glasses. Her long red hair reflected a blue metallic sheen from the dull computer screen next to her. Her fingers rested upon an old broadcasting board filled with dials and sliders.

 Sanji gulped. Miss Nami had on a pair of glasses. His heart stuttered at the sight, his one true weakness: a beautiful woman wearing sexy glasses. * _Oh seductrice, ces verres me coupent profondement dans mes os ver mon coeur!_ He felt his legs wiggle under him like jelly, the urge to throw himself down on his knees and profess his desire overwhelming.

Nami eyed him up over her glasses.  A concerned frown took place on her delicate features as she noted his busted lip and overall bedraggled state.

Seeing her concern, he forced himself to settle and swallowed, tasting copper still. He forcibly reminded himself that there was no time for silly fantasies. The reality of what he’d just seen resurfaced in his mind. Gore blood and horror. The shift in his demeanour from goofy to seriousness quickly made Nami realise that something was wrong. She rose to her feet, unhooked the headphones from around her neck and headed over to the door, slipping her oil skin coat and wellington boots on. She gestured with a tilt of her head for Sanji to follow suit.

He didn’t even need to say that something terrible had happened. She just knew.

 She waited for him to lead the way and together they left the container.

The falling rain had grown heavier, its drops thrashing down. A thin skin of water covered the flat compound area. Their boots created sloshing noises as they walked.

They entered the cottage, Sanji leading the way to the bathroom.  The sight that greeted them looked like something from a horror film. During the brief time he’d been gone, blood had splatted up along the tiles. Bloody handprints stained the white towels lying discarded on the tiled floor.

Nami visibly paled, her red hair damp from the rain. The air was thick with the smell of copper and death. She pulled the collar of her woolly jumper up and over her mouth. Sanji stood stiff next to her, waiting for her orders. Droplets of water ran off their oil skin coats, creating light drip drop sounds. It sounded far too soft for such an awful scene.

Franky was sat upon the closed porcelain bowl, a small first aid kit strewn out of his knee. Bandages and antiseptic bottles were gathered on the floor at his feet.

Robin’s head lay limp along the back rim of the bath tub. She looked a ghastly gray colour, her normally dark skin sickly. She didn’t seem to be with them consciously.

Franky turned and gave them a grave look. His eyes glazed, “She’s passed out from the pain.” With a large hand he delicately used a clean cloth to wipe blood and grime away from her face. Her leg was still oozing slowly but it was no longer misshapen. Franky noticed Sanji’s staring at the miraculous re-set bone. And with none of his usual charm or flamboyance he said, “To the best of my ability, I re-set the bone and quickly crafted up a splint to hold it all together.” At no point did he add ‘Franky’ or his trademark ‘Super,’ to this incredible quick medical invention.

Nami cautiously approached the tub. Her boots treading through the mix of blood and rain water. She peered in, and tried her best to take a clinical approach to the situation; she couldn’t let her emotional feelings filter through. In a time like this, she needed to act as the Principal Keeper not their friend. Robin had lost so much blood and by the looks of the grime coating her clothing and skin, it wouldn’t take long for infection to set in. She eyed the belt tied tightly around her upper thigh, cutting the blood flow off from the broken leg. It would prevent any more blood loss. All that could be done right now had been done. None of them were doctors. But they had basic if not good first aid training. Although a situation like this was beyond them.

“Franky,” She said quietly, “Her voice echoed off the bathroom tiles, “I’m going to contact help.”

Franky nodded, tidying up the first aid kit on his knee. His clothes were stained with blood. He lifted the shower head that had been connected to the bath’s taps. With a turn of the tap, warm water flowed and soothingly he rinsed along Robin’s leg, washing away the drying blood. Gently he pulled away the torn material. Tenderly cleaning her wounds.

That was their cue to leave.

*

 

Back inside the radio station Nami flung her oil skin coat aside and ordered Sanji to do the same. They couldn’t contact anyone if they fried the equipment with rain water. Sat at her station, Sanji stood behind her, one arm gripping the work top. He watched her as she worked. By the looks of it this particular station mainly still used old analogue devices. He’d been trained to use all possible sorts of equipment but still it’d been a while since he’d seen technology as old as this.

With the headphones on, Nami worked away.

In front of her was the broadcasting board, square with neat columns, she selected the furthest column and hit a button, it flashed green. Slowly she moved the tab above it called the slider, while watching the twin arrows move on the dial above. They jittered between pointing straight up and pointing at Max.

A microphone hung just above them, she pulled it over to herself. Without looking at Sanji she said, “I’m going to send out a distress signal to NLB.”

Sanji nodded. The NLB was the National Lighthouse Board and their first priority to contact, through them they could arrange for help.

Nami flipped a switch on a second board hung up on the wall above the broadcast board, and pushed the sliders up as several columns of blue lights flashed.  “We’ve a good strong signal,” She said to herself. She pulled the microphone over to her lips, and pressed a single button below the twin arrows. It bleeped once, to say she was Live. In a calm and clear voice she stated her name, position and listed the lighthouse’s location.

The low hum from the machines was audible and the tape recorder spun as they waited. For an odd second the computer monitor flickered, its screen displaying co-ordinates flickering blank to static to random code. Nami paused, and gripped the fuzzy microphone between her fingertips. She eyed the screen confusedly and watched it flick back to normal, displaying her co-ordinates.

Exchanging a perturbed look with Sanji she shook her head. The sight of all the blood and gore from her friend clearly had her feeling unsettled.  Which was entirely unusual, she always felt at home in the station. It’d been the room her and Vivi had spent most of their time together. Even going so far as to sit up all night listening to radio stations together and recording their favourite songs on the tape recorder.

Just then the light beside the output button suddenly turned to ‘off’ with a loud click. Nami swallowed. The hairs prickling at the back of her neck. She definitely had not touched the off button and such a technical issue had never ever happened in all her time at this station. It was almost like the equipment was acting up. Feeling a low brush of anxiety beginning under her skin, she pressed the output button to ‘on’ again. In her mind she tried to convince herself that it was just a weird fluke. Her lips to the microphone she began repeating her official transmission for help, “This is Nami at Tower,” She listed their location, “I’m requesting urgent immediate-“

Sanji watched the rising columns of lit blue light circles climb higher until they reached the top and flashed an angry red. That was not good. The circles represented their signal. They had to keep the lights at a good middle level and bouncing. The fact that it was red meant the signal was clipping. So even if the NLB received their broadcast it most likely would be choppy and hard to decipher.

Confused as to why this was happening Nami began quickly turning and pulling different sliders and knobs in an attempt to fix the signal. But nothing seemed to be working. And that’s when Sanji heard it. The two speakers mounted up on the walls, began to emit a low static sound, like white noise when an old television had been left on overnight. The tape recorder in the centre of the machinery wall began to click louder, the reels spinning backwards. It was rewinding whatever it had recorded, without being told to do so.

“Nami,” He said alarmed looking at the speakers as the static grew louder.

But Nami had not heard him, the headphones blocking her hearing. She repeated her message again, this time a hint of panic had crept into her tone, “Requesting immediate rescue. Emergency situation, critically injured member requiring immediate medical attention-“

In an instant several things happened. The speakers on the wall reached a high pitch screech, Sanji covered his ears just as Nami ripped the headphones from her head, and slapped them on the floor, a strange whirring buzzing noise emitting from them. She watched in bewilderment and fright as suddenly the tower of red circles blinked out to black. Dead. The noise abruptly stopped from the speakers and the headphones.

“No...” Nami said in disbelief. Stabbing the buttons on the control panel and pressing each slider, her actions grew more and more frantic as the machines refused to respond. Sanji clapped her on the back. She looked over her shoulder at him, her hair dishevelled and glasses hanging off her nose. “The signal, it’s gone. Completely gone.” She was shaking her head.

Sanji had never been in this kind of technical situation before. All the radio stations he’d worked in before had used higher tech devices. He tried to suggest some kind of solution to the problem. But with each suggestion Nami only shook her head more, her fingers coming up to grip the end of her ponytail, ruffling her damp red hair between her fingers. A look of denial and fear clear in her eyes. Finally she spoke, her voice tight and all in monotone, “I don’t think you get it. We’re completely cut off. The tower isn’t sending out a signal. No one is going to come help Robin.”

“But-“, Sanji tried to think of any solution, dread crawling under his skin.

“The food supply ship won’t return for another month.” Nami said her tone flat, she slumped back down onto her seat, “How will, how will Robin survive in that condition?” She said to herself, her voice rising to a hysterical volume, “It’s not possible!”

The realisation of the new reality they were in sunk in like thick water seeping into lungs. Burning and difficult to accept. Nami was right, they were far from civilisation and their only way to contact the outside world had just cut itself off completely. He raked his hands through his pockets and gripped the reassuring shape of his cigarette carton. Sliding it open, he slotted two between his fingers, and fingered a third. “Shit” he said under his breath, “Shit. Shit!”  Just how the hell were they gonna tell Franky this news?

Nami slammed a fist down on the worktop. She seemed to have gathered herself, “No I refuse to give up.” She turned back to the work station, and pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose, “There has to be a way,” She gave Sanji a determined look, “I’ll fix it. Go help Franky.”

Sanji nodded feeling a renewed sense of hope. Comically he had now had three cigarettes between his lips and his lighter clutched in his hand. Nami didn’t comment on his coping mechanism.

  **THUD**

They both almost jumped out of their skin. They whipped around to the source of the sound; it had come from outside the container.

THUD THUD

Two second sounds bounced off the wall of the container. They looked at each other in alarm, what the hell was happening now? Guardedly Sanji approached the door and slowly opened it. The rain was still falling heavily, the water sloshing along downhill. And there lying right before him outside the doorway in the slosh were three dead birds. Still twitching as their blood bled out and merged into the rain water. Sickened by the sight Sanji peered out around the container checking the wall. Seeing three red splat marks. Black feathers had stuck with blood to the stations sheet wall panelling.

Suddenly Nami grabbed him and pulled him back, “Get down,” She yelled as she slammed the door. The cigarettes in his lips fell loose and scattered.

THUD THUD **THUDTHUD** THUD THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD** THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD **THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD** THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD **THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUD** THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUD THUD **THUD THUD THUD** THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD THUDTHUDTHUD THUDTHUD THUD THUD

Crouched down together on the floor, Nami covered her head with her arms, “What is going on?” She cried. The _thuds_ sounded from all sides of the container, the sound as fierce and violent as a mob of people beating the walls with hammers.

A sickening crack reverberated through the air and the thuds grew louder, along with the sound of breaking glass. The curtains on the inside of the station began to flutter and then violently they pulled apart as though an invisible being had separated them. It revealed a hooked beak from a black bird pierced entirely through the layer of glass. The glass was stained red as the rain pelted down angrily unable to shift the gore. Slowly like a spider web the glass began to split. Making slick clinking noises.

The thudding continued and Sanji grabbed Nami and yanked her up to her feet just as the glass gave way. A tornado of screeching birds like a living thunder cloud bursted inside the container. The birds flew as though drunken or mad and stupidly collided into the radio’s monitors and electrical equipment, sending blood and feathers flying everywhere. Sparks of electricity shot out from the impact, the equipment’s circuits frying as bird blood seeped in.

Nami screamed as Sanji kicked open the door, pulling her along with him, they ran for it, their oil skin coats forgotten in the frenzy bird filled container. The rain soaked through them fast. They ran without stopping for the main building adjoined to the lighthouse. They only stopped for a breath once they had dashed through and slammed the door shut behind them.

It took a while for their heaving gasps for air to stop. And they realised that the squawks of birds could no longer be heard. That thankfully the birds hadn’t followed them.

Nami paced back and forth, her stress levels rising. She had black feathers and gore smattered in her hair. Her glasses had fallen askew in the mad dash to the lighthouse. Suddenly she started patting herself down, “No… no… Where is it?”

“What?” Sanji asked, he was still pressed to the door, making sure it stayed shut. He eyed up the glass windows, realising that if the birds attacked here too, they’d be defenceless.

“The log book!” Nami yelled like it was the most obvious thing. Then she composed herself, “I left it in the station.” She clutched the arm of the couch, distress evident in her posture and dug her nails into the fabric, cursing under her breath.

Sanji watched her from his spot by the door. Even in a situation like this she still cared about that damn book. Just what had she written down within it? What could be so important? Pulling a black feather free from his hair, he pondered. Just what had possessed those birds? And then he remembered Robin’s words about the curse involving black birds. But she had said they were gigantic. Those birds had been normal in size.

Nami stormed back over to the window, peering out surreptitiously, before carefully closing the curtains. “We need to return to the station. The radio equipment is fried so we’re gonna need Franky.” She fixed Sanji with a look, “I need you to cover Franky’s Lamp duty.”

He affirmed her order.

“Grab the painkillers from the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. I’ll stay with Robin.”

Sanji headed into the kitchen to retrieve the painkillers. Of course they had nothing strong enough to deal with the pain of a broken bone. But maybe it would help. He froze on the spot when he realised that the drawer of every cupboard lay wide open. All of them. Almost like someone had broken in and ransacked through their kitchen. He glanced around the kitchen feeling his skin crawl. Was there an intruder in the Lighthouse? Everyone was accounted for, except Zoro.

He approached the medicine cabinet and grabbed a tub labelled ‘painkillers.’ Quietly he began to close each and every cupboard and cabinet door. Nothing seemed to be out of place or stolen. To say the least it felt unnerving to think that Zoro had snuck into their building.

As he closed the last drawer, it occurred to him that he didn’t believe for a second that Zoro was the perpetrator. With a shiver running along his skin, he recalled the night his door had slammed by itself. And he just knew in his heart that the two incidents had to be related. Someone or something was in the Lighthouse and it was trying to make itself known.

*

The gas lit lanterns glowed in the bunker. Zoro sat hunched over on his bed. A simple metal frame with a cheap mattress and bed sheets. The thing wasn’t classy or fancy but it did the job. He held his head in one hand and massaged his temple. Sprawled out on the mattress next to him was his coat. Sighing he lifted the cuff, his fingers running over the stain. The stain from Sanji’s blood. It was already turning a rusty shade, the red fading out. He tossed it aside to the floor. Just seeing the blood brought back flashes of their fight and the feeling of pure betrayal. His chest and arms ached lightly; he knew he’d have bruises tomorrow.

He groaned eyeing the headset lying at his feet. A long wire ran along the distance between his bed and the old radio transmitter. He hooked the headset over his ears, arranging the mouth piece just before his lips. Across the room at his desk the radio device whirred and spun sending out a connection.

He never thought he’d have to contact them. Never thought it’d come to this.

In his mind he remembered Sanji smiling softly in the sun. Flower petals had become entangled in his hair, and between bouts of laughter and teasing he had gently plucked them out. The sheep bleated kindly in the background, the grass warm and rustling quietly in the calm breeze. Playfully their lips had touched. One kiss growing into more and more. And he remembered that he’d been so happy.

But the pleasant memory morphed and changed to Sanji, his eyes narrowed in anger, blood oozing from his lip, the icy tone of his voice, _“Wolf!”_

He sighed heavily, scrubbing his hand through the scruff of his hair.

An automated voice buzzed through the headpiece into his ears, requesting the code.

He swallowed, his gut feeling heavy or did his insides just hurt from Sanji’s kicks? He massaged his throat, it hurt just to swallow and he knew he’d be left with a massive bruise in the shape of a hand. _His hand._ The word **marked** resounded in his head. He’d been marked by the man who had betrayed his trust. Without a doubt, he’d been completely led astray.

 He gripped his fist and slammed it down into the pillow on his bed, trying to release his stress. How could he have been so stupid? To have been so blinded by that curly eyebrowed fool. The long years on this Isle must have made him weak or something! Why else did he fall for that idiot?

 And fallen he had. Sanji hadn’t been just some floozy to mess around with. No he’d never been interested in wasting his time with people in that manner. He had known from the moment that he’d seen Sanji being transported up over onto the Isle that he was different. That there had been this almost tangible kind of pull towards him. Like a hook in his heart being tugged, saying ‘this way.’ And his curiosity spiked, he’d made it his mission to introduce himself to him.

The voice buzzed in his ear again, repeating its mantra.

“Yeah yeah, shut up.”  He muttered.

It buzzed again sounding annoyed. Zoro rolled his eyes. He knew the rules and he would follow them. He spoke out aloud the code that had been ingrained to him. The one he had hoped he’d never have to use.

“ Thirteen. Lima. Four. Charlie. Kilo.” He swallowed feeling an ominous vibe settle over his skin.

The electronic voice asked him to confirm.

He licked his lips as several memories flitted into his mind.

**_“Do you promise?”_ **

_The early morning sun lay low in the sky, the air still cold. Dressed in only his white undershirt and trousers he stifled a shiver. He could bear the chill, for him. Below his perch on the rock Sanji lay asleep. Zoro’s thick sheep’s wool coat covering him. He looked peaceful and soft snores emanated from his mouth. Zoro found himself fondly taking in every little detail of his face, admiring the thick curl of his eyelashes. And he was surprised to discover several light freckles dotted along his cheeks. Like a gathering of stars._

_Sanji murmured in his sleep and tugged the coat closer to him._

_Zoro smiled to himself, Sanji’s used cigarette still between his lips._

**_“I promised didn’t I?”_ **

_He watched with a heavy heart, Sanji’s retreating back. The cold air harsh on his skin. Until Sanji had turned around, a look of fierce determination upon his face. He’d marched right back to him and shit that kiss. That last kiss had meant everything. It was the one that he had thought signified the start of something, the start of ‘we’._

_“ **IT’S YOUR FAULT**.”_

_Sanji’s voice had hissed in anger as he lashed out._

He stopped himself from remembering too much detail about the last memory. It was still too soon, too fresh in his mind.

No, there was no going back. No fixing this.

“Forty-Two.” He confirmed.

The words hung heavy in the air like a death sentence.

The Automated Voice buzzed in his ear. ‘SITUATION 13L4CK 42 AFFIRMED.’

He dropped the headset to the floor with a clack and hoped he hadn’t just made a huge mistake.

 

## *

## END OF CHAPTER 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French Translation  
> *Oh seductress, those glasses cut deep through my bones to my heart!
> 
> Wondering if I should apologize in advance? It isn't a very happy chapter. Forgive me?
> 
> Know this, if you leave a comment, I consider you a friend and I'm always willing to listen or chat.  
> So never fear and leave a comment/kudos. :3
> 
> Many thanks and <3333 to AlfredKvaak and a shout out to ColourfulBubbles. :3


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to get ready.  
> Apologies to all readers.  
> On a more positive note, a huge thank you to AlfredKvaak for being my beta and offering insight and comments. (SERIOUSLY YOU SAVED THIS CHAPTER, THANK YOU ILY) <3  
> Also please forgive any spelling or grammar error that I may have missed.

When Nami asked Franky to repair the radio equipment; the look he shot her had been positively murderous. She should have known better than to ask a devoted husband to leave his stricken wife’s side for even a second. Instead Robin had been carefully moved to their shared bed in the cottage. A slip of cloth acted as sling to keep her leg elevated while her foot was propped up on several cushions. The makeshift splint looked clunky and out of place among the lightly patterned fabric of their bedding. 

Franky did not leave her side, perched on a chair pressed to their bed like a huge concerned bird. Over the next couple days, Robin flitted between periods of fitful sleep and painful wakefulness suffering spells of nausea and dizziness. Dutifully he wiped beads of sweat away from her brow with a cool cloth. It seemed the fracture and onslaught of pathogens had resulted in her body developing a fever. Feeling helpless and wishing he had more knowledge on medicine, he had held her tiny hand in his and prayed for the fever to break.

*

Sanji took over the lamp duty as per orders. Alone at night in the Lighthouse Tower he sat like a statue and during the day he lay stiff like cardboard in his bunk, stuck between asleep and not quite. At all times his thoughts refused to leave him alone.

On his second consecutive night in the Tower, he slumped forward on the single chair. With downcast eyes he combed his fingers through the longer strands of his hair. He hadn’t washed or properly bathed and his hair felt greasy. Bathing was too much effort right now. He’d probably never admit it, but he was feeling… down. Ignoring that, several other emotions surged and wove within him: anger, confusion and strangely regret.

Anger he understood. His anger made sense, it was justified. He had taken his wrath out on Zoro, punished him with his bare hands…. but that was where the regret and guilt started. 

A tat in his hair snagged on his fingers. He pulled his hand free and languidly flexed his fingers in a slow movement. He could still feel the ghost of Zoro’s throat beneath his palm. A chill settled over him at the memory. Rolling his shoulders he tried to shift it. Eyeing the dark night through the glass windows of the Lamp room, the moon and stars absent, a new emotion crawled under his skin. He realised it was fear. That he was afraid of himself. The fierce anger he had felt towards Zoro had been almost lethal. It terrified him to think that he was capable of almost killing a person. Especially one he cared about. Admittedly he was still mad at Zoro but that was outweighed by how badly he cared. Just how could he have hurt him like that? 

He swept all his hair back away from his face, and then allowed it to fall naturally back in place. He exhaled a puff of air. Before, his ideals and morals had been pretty black and white. Men who mistreated women were dirt bags and deserved every kick to the face they got. So for Zoro to prevent Robin’s rescue meant he was a dirt bag… and yet he didn’t believe that to be true. Zoro was, he was good… right? He cared for his sheep, and he seemed to care for, _for me_ _,_ he thought. Well at least he did, before their fight. His mouth twisted into a frown as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

_Things were really fucked now, weren’t they?_

He wished he could see the stars, even for just a second so he wouldn’t feel so alone in the glass globe. In his mind a warm husky laugh played like the roll of grass in a light breeze and a twinge of something pulled in his gut. It felt like longing. The desire and need to see him again, to make it right. Settling his hands back into his hair, he started combing again.

*

Nami had been left with the task of cleaning up the ‘bird kamikaze’. What had to be at least a hundred dead black birds littered the area around the Station. The rain had stopped, the water sloughing off the compound like a slick of tears. But the sun remained hidden behind dark clouds. It seemed the temperature had dropped too, the air nipping. 

Wearing a handkerchief over her mouth and nose, and cleaning gloves on her hands, she began her task. At first she had wanted to simply grab a brush and sweep them off the Isle and into the sea. Quick and easy, so she could forget about the whole thing. But with her position as Principal Lighthouse Keeper, she knew better. Instead she gathered the grisly carcasses into plastic bags. Surely an avian ecologist or specialist would need to study them? A flock of birds performing mass suicide was abnormal. Something had to be wrong with them, disease maybe? She held the handkerchief closer to her mouth as she scraped gunk crusted feathers away with the other. Their tiny bodies had become flattened like deflated feathered balloons. Several had burst, discoloured fleshy gum like guts sprouting free.

Normally she would never reduce herself to something as tedious as cleaning. Honestly she felt such a chore was beneath her. But right now, she really needed to. By cleaning away the death she hoped she could get back some sense of control. 

Inside the Radio Station she gingerly swept the splattered mess of feathered bodies into bags. The blood had congealed and crusted like darks scabs on the floor. Shaking her head and realising there was no other choice, she had settled down on her hands and knees with a bucket of hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush. She scrubbed until the sudsy water was stained pink from blood and the scabs had flecked away like gunky jelly. All around her was quiet apart from the rhythmic rustle of brush bristles. Her warm breath condensed underneath her handkerchief as it failed to hold back the stench of harsh bleach and decay. 

A rip formed in her glove and the bloody water soaked inside to her palm. Pausing, she felt tears bead at the corner of her eyes. The ball of anxiety that had been growing in her stomach was uncoiling. She could almost feel its urge to burst out of her in the form of sobs. The attack of birds, Robin’s injury and the stress that they were cut off from the mainland was all too much. Not to mention the fact that she was the Principal Keeper, it was her duty to protect everyone. There was so much pressure on her shoulders. Biting her lip, tears welling up, her thoughts turned to the one person she missed the most. _Vivi_. Her heart ached for her girlfriend. The only connection she had left to her -the Log Book- had vanished without a trace. Almost as though it had been taken.

_What if I never see_ _Vivi_ _again?_

Squeezing the brush, pink suds foaming on the bristles, she let her tears fall. In her mind she pictured her last moments with Vivi, their goodbye. Vivi’s face had felt so small cupped in her hands, warm tears trickling down her cheeks. She had kissed every last one away as they swore their promise.

Ripping the glove off her hand, Nami roughly dried her eyes on the cuff of her sleeve. Sniffing she decided then and there that she’d get through this. She was resilient and strong! The promise between her and Vivi formed a ribbon of courage in her being. They’d sworn to be reunited and in each other’s arms for the New Year and she would do everything in her power to make that happen!

*

On the third day, things finally set in motion. Robin’s fever broke but she remained weak and bed ridden. The ordeal had resulted in her losing a significant amount of weight to the point that she looked nearly skeletal. 

Nami had seized the moment to urge Franky to begin the repairs at the Station. Persuaded by the fact that Robin was on the mend and that the radio was their only true chance of getting professional medical help, he agreed. In his place, Nami sat at their bedside, keeping Robin company and encouraging her to drink water. For her to regain her strength she would need to eat, but as it was she had no appetite. Nami squeezed the bony hand of her friend, feeling the beginnings of hope bud within her. Hope that they would all make it out of this disaster.

*

Walking along the compound, Sanji accompanied Franky to the Radio Station. Remnants of black feathers hissed in the chill breeze. There was no way he’d be forgetting the freak bird attack any time soon. The rust coloured blood splatter stains in the concrete had become a permanent reminder.

Beneath his low mood and anxiety, he felt a small bubble of joy. Nami had agreed to cover the lamp duty for him. It meant for the first time in two days that he could have the night to himself. He was seriously thankful as sitting alone in the dark and sleeping the day away was beginning to take its toll.

Inside the Station there was no obvious sign of what had happened apart from the broken equipment. Nami had clearly done a tremendous job cleaning.

Franky set his tool box down at his side. With a heavy sigh he surveyed the damage. During their short walk over, neither man had said a word to the other. And that made Sanji’s anxiety level spike. He sucked in his bottom lip; it still hadn’t properly healed over. He didn’t know what to say. In his mind he worried that Franky blamed him. God knew that he already blamed himself. He had replayed the event over and over in his mind, the two nights alone in the tower driving him insane. Whenever he had managed to sleep he would awake covered in sweat, hearing Robin’s piercing scream. 

Franky was on his hunkers. Pieces of equipment lay around him on the floor like a larger than life jigsaw puzzle. In his hands he held the frame from a hardrive, now bare, its wires spilled loose like a tangled mess of snakes. 

Sanji watched him, noting how huge his arms were and how the tattoos on his skin danced as his muscles worked. Still neither of them spoke; the quiet in the Station only interrupted by a clank of metal on metal, the sound shrill and sharp. 

Unable to bear the awkward silence any longer, Sanji removed the lighter from his pocket and stepped outside. He rolled a cigarette between his lips, noting an ache in his head thrumming a beat just above his temple. He toggled the spark wheel on his lighter, igniting his cigarette, like a miniature red sun. Eyeing up the morbid grey sky he wondered when he had last seen the real sun. The clouds above him were so dense; they resembled a tightly woven quilt. His eyes roved over their rotund bumps. 

It occurred to him then just how quiet the Isle had become. He could hear the distant crash and break of the waves from the sea… but something was missing. A piece of ash broke off the end of his cigarette singeing the end of his coat collar. With a sudden clarity he realised what was missing. In the past three days he hadn’t heard a single cry from a bird. He spun on his heel, looking across the Isle’s sky. Not a single bird, gull, or hooked beak black bird could be seen or heard. Their peculiar cries absent. He found it strange and unnerving. They were gone? The copper blood stains caught his gaze, fixing him in place. And a strange thought struck him, what did the birds know that they didn’t? 

Stubbing his cigarette out underneath the heel of his boot, he walked back into the Station with his hands in his pockets and his forehead furrowed. Quietly so as not to disturb Franky, he approached Nami’s work station, eyeing up the broken radio equipment. They were all offline, their empty little buttons devoid of light. In some places they were cracked and dented from the impact of the birds. 

Taking a seat at Nami’s chair, he trailed his fingers over the control panel. Feeling the nodules and bumps beneath his fingertips, imaging he could somehow will them to return to life. Nothing happened of course. He leant back in the chair, rolling another unlit cigarette between his lips. Over the past couple of days his smoking habit had escalated to full on chain smoking. Truth be told, he was very quickly burning through his supply. For a second, a cocky grin on perfect tan lips flitted into his mind.

Sighing he bunched his elbow up on the work station, gripping his forehead in his palm. He had been trying so hard to not think about him today. Three gold earrings glittered in his mind, tinkling along with sound of a husky laugh. _Goddamnit_ _,_ he slammed his palm down onto the worktop. The control panel clattered beside him. A click and whirring noise sounded just above him. He lifted his head, his fringe beginning to grow out too long, as it covered his eye and tickled his eyelashes. The tape recorder set in the heart of the metal wall of electronics whirred into life, rewinding backwards, clicking with each rotation of the two tapes it held inside.

Franky paused in his work, looking up from the floor where he had the innards of an analogue hardrive spooled out before him. He lifted his shades off his nose, placing them on his head as he watched the tape recorder with a puzzled frown.

Sanji eyed him over his shoulder and rose to his feet. He reached out, his fingers running along the old fashioned buttons on the device. With a _click_ , he hit ‘PAUSE’. The tapes stopped spinning. 

Franky gave him a silent nod, a curious look on his face. 

The ‘PLAY’ button felt worn and smooth under Sanji’s finger tip and with a second _click_ he pressed it. 

The device’s stomach, transparent in colour allowed them to see the reels of tape inside. They spun forward in a clockwork motion. From its audio speakers, static emerged, filling the station with white noise. This frizzle and crackling of static continued on for a good minute. 

Pursing his lips, Sanji examined the body of jumbled radio equipment, noting how they were all damaged in some way. All of them excluding the tape recorder, it was the only piece left intact. He watched it turn with guarded fascination. But that would imply that the birds had chosen not to fly into it almost as if they had all collectively decided not to. That couldn’t be possible… no it had to be an odd coincidence.

The static sound rose like a wave gaining momentum and then it broke apart with a single inhale of breath.

Franky set aside his spanner, and folded his arms, eyeing the tape recorder. 

A series of strange electronic ‘beeps’ chimed. A low static remained in the background, echoing the chimes hollowly. It continued on like that for some time. 

Sanji tried to make sense of it. Could it be a message in Morse code? In search for a pen to translate the beeps, he attempted to open the bottom drawer of the desk only to find that it was stuck firmly in place. With a burst of frustration he yanked it open, completely ripping the drawer from its hinge. 

Franky widened his eyes at the display of violence but said nothing.

Rifling through the broken drawer’s contents he found the Log Book mixed up with an assortment of office supplies. Tentatively he touched the cover. _Nami’s L_ _og Book_ , the one she hadn’t wanted anyone to see. What was it doing here, wedged in the drawer? He lifted it out, placing the book onto the work top. The series of beeps continued in the background intermingling with a hissing spike of metallic sound.  

Spanner back in his hand, Franky opened his mouth to curtly ask Sanji to turn the thing off. When abruptly the hissing stopped, and in the low static a voice could clearly be heard. 

Sanji stilled, his fingers gripping the book’s spine. He stared at the tape recorder, his eyes wide as he listened. A heavily accented male voice spoke in a monotonous tone as though reading from a list. Straining his ears, Sanji cocked his head. His mind ran through possible lists, trying to place the man’s accent. Being bilingual he prided himself on his ability to understand and discern languages. Yet this one had him confounded. He didn’t recognise a single word being spoken.

 Franky rose to his feet, wiping his knuckles with a rag. He shot the tape recorder an intrigued glare.

“Do you understand it?” Sanji found himself asking quietly, over the monotonous voice.

A series of beeps sounded, followed by odd indistinguishable sounds. It made his skin crawl. And it brought back a memory of the time he had fallen asleep before a black and white television set. He had awakened in a darkened room to the fizzing blur of ‘snow’ on the screen; the flickering light had casted strange shadows along the walls. He’d been only a boy then and curiously he’d approached the screen, pressing his hands to it. He remembered how it had felt warm, the noise of the white static buzzing under his skin.

It occurred to him that whatever this recording was, it was old.

“No.” Franky’s next sentence lilted in tone, insinuating a peak of interest. “But Robin might.” 

With the hopeful notion that the bizarre recording could instil some excitement in Robin, Franky asked him to take the tape recorder to their cottage. The larger man had easily unplugged it from its home in the heart of the broken radio equipment. Disconnected from power, it slowed, the clicks counting down to a stop. The voice faded out. But before handing it to him, Franky instead set it down with a quiet thump, and rummaged through his tool box. 

To Sanji’s surprise Franky pulled out two cans of cola. They had long run out of sugary treats, and he felt his mouth water.

Franky offered him one with a knowing smile as he tapped his nose, “Always keep spare Cola.”

Accepting the Cola, Sanji felt his smile falter, the guilt in his stomach gnawing at him. Franky noticed instantly and shifted his weight to his other foot, leaning on the work desk top. 

“Listen… Sanji bro.” 

Sanji looked up at him; he felt small and child like before the bigger man.

“I don’t blame you.”

A noise of surprise stuttered freely from Sanji’s mouth.

Franky held his hand out, a large finger extended, stopping any further noises, “And,” He took a deep sip of his cola, relishing in the sugary drink.

Following Franky’s lead, Sanji opened his own cola too.

“I don’t blame Zoro either.” Franky finished. 

At that declaration, Sanji took a hasty step back in bewilderment. The cola sloshed in his grip, fizzy liquid dripping over his fingers. “But, but why?” He asked, hastily wiping his sticky fingers on a nearby rag.

A huge laugh erupted from Franky as he shook his head, “Bro, Robin is Robin! My wife is super! If she wanted to go in that Ruin, there’s nothing or no one that would have stopped her!” Winking a thick eye lashed eye Franky continued, “And honestly, if I was Zoro and the one I loved wanted to jump into a freaking Ruin, then you bet your ass, I would have done anything to stop her… eh you.” His own metaphor was confusing him, “You know what I mean? I wouldn’t let you put yourself in danger…” He trailed off, “Whatever you get my point.” He hefted up the tape recorder, handing it to Sanji. 

He accepted it in his free hand, blinking dumbly as he tried to absorb the fact that Franky didn’t blame him.

Franky shooed him out of the station and watched him head for the cottage. Laughing to himself he took another hearty swig of his cola. Did Sanji bro, really not get it? If anyone would go to such lengths to protect another from danger… that could only be called one thing, man. And no it wasn’t hate. Grinning, he rolled his eyes and hoped Sanji would figure it out himself.

*

The curtains were drawn in the cottage setting a glum mood made worse with the faint lingering smell of vomit. Propped up on pillows against the headboard was Robin. She looked so thin, her cheeks sunken revealing prominent cheek bones. Her usual beautiful green eyes were a dull glimmer. Unsettlingly Sanji noticed how much effort it took for her to just breathe, her chest rising and falling with a rattle. 

Nami traded places with him leaving to start lamp duty. Sanji had felt a twinge of guilt as he said goodbye to her, feeling the Log Book hidden inside his coat. He would have given it to her no question only that he had too many unanswered questions. And he hoped that the book could answer some. Still the fact that he had just betrayed Miss Nami’s trust stung his conscience.

Gently he sat himself on the chair next to the bed. Robin looked so sickly and pale. He swallowed, the air in the room felt heavy like it was pressing down on him. And he swore he could literally sense sickness and disease waiting like starved vultures in the dark corners of the room. He felt his heart race at the thought that Robin could die.

As if sensing his distress, Robin reached up and squeezed his upper arm, a knowing and ever so kind smile on her face.

Sanji blinked, and looked away, afraid if he stared too long into Robin’s poor face that that he would cry. Busying himself he plugged the tape recorder into the socket beside her bed. Instantly the static sound started up. Almost like a third invisible person was in the room with them, humming. The male voice spoke and instantly Robin reacted, like a spark of electricity had jolted right through her. She gestured with frail hands for something to write on. 

Without thinking and feeling happy to see such energy within her, he handed her the Log Book. 

She flicked through the pages, stopping on an empty one. With a quiver to her hand and fast strokes she began to scribble down in looping script a list of words. 

He waited patiently without speaking; the corners of his mouth tugging up into a smile at seeing Robin look so alive and lost in concentrated thought.

The series of beeps started and Sanji hit ‘PAUSE’, eager to hear what Robin had uncovered. She turned the book to him. The series of scrawls were almost illegible. He looked at her expectantly and she smiled. He felt a pain in his chest at her smile, her full lips chapped and cracked in places. 

“It’s an archaic coded message.” She said excitedly, her voice sounded dry and raspy. “In my bookshelf, there’s a book. Its spine has a gold fringe, fetch it for me, please.”

He didn’t have to be told twice; he practically sprinted into the main room. Searching the bookcase he ran his fingers along the different sized spines of books, thick and thin. His mouthed the words to himself and noted that some were written in a different language and he wondered if Robin was also bilingual like himself. He paused on a book, reading the title, ‘Fantasia’s Guide to Realistic Cyborg Sex.’ He felt his face redden and had to physically hold himself back from pulling out the book then and there to see it. Just what the hell kind of sex book was it? Was it like the Kama Sutra but with robots? He glanced over at the work bench sporting mechanical gizmos. And suddenly he had a feeling that this was Franky’s book… and now he had way too much information on the married couple’s sex life.

At last he found a book bearing a leather spine with frayed gold trim. He pulled it out; noting that in place of a title was only a series of scratch marks, like a tally score.

Returning to his chair he watched Robin methodically rewind and replay the tape. Quickly and eagerly her hand flew across the page taking down note after note in an unintelligible language. He set the tally mark book down next to her and waited. Even though Franky had told him that he was not to blame, he still couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at what had happened to her. He heard the tape recorder _click_ , to a stop and then there was a hand resting on his shoulder. He turned, meeting Robin’s eyes. They were filled with quiet compassion and understanding. 

He felt his face screw up at her expression. He didn’t deserve such an expression, he had let her down. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” She said softly, her voice firmly conveying the message.

Sanji pinched his lips, tears welling up in his eyes. He did everything to hold them back, he wouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t.

Robin smiled, so tender and soft, her hand moved from his shoulder, gripping his hand gently. “It’s okay to cry.”

And just like that fat tears slipped down his cheeks and everything he had been stressing about began to spill over. The terror of Robin dying, the bizarreness of the birds’ suicide attack and then the strange goings on in the living quarters of the Lighthouse. _Cupboards didn’t_ _just_ _open by themselves!_ But the main issue that was causing him to fret was Zoro. He began to babble, incoherent words about Zoro, about his confusing feelings on the situation.

Robin squeezed his hand and patiently listened to his every word. In that moment her actions held a motherly quality. 

He thought it ironic that she was consoling him, when it should be the other way around. And soon he felt a strange bittersweet smile bloom on his face. He wiped away the falling tears with his sleeve offhandedly in a pathetic attempt to regain some of his dignity.

Robin waited for him to compose himself. She leaned forward to him, an unmistakable grunt of pain not quite masked under her breath. She spoke in a hushed tone to him. “Franky told me everything that happened. For what it’s worth, I believe you should forgive Zoro.”

Sanji looked at her doubtfully. _Really, forgive him_ _?_ He made to say something, to argue but Robin cut him off with a fierce look. He shuffled around under her gaze. The movement knocked the Log Book from her lap. It fell over, the pages flickering and stopping on a scribbled dark image. Neither paid the book any attention.

Robin gripped his cheek, her eyes serious. “We don’t know everything.” She fixed Sanji with her gaze. “But Zoro does. I believe that he did what he did to protect you. He knew that had you of rushed into the Ruin after me, you would have fallen as well.”

He stilled at her words. Could she be right? Had Zoro acted in such a manner to protect him?

“And who knows, you could have suffered a fate much worse than me. Maybe broken your neck and died. Or impaled yourself upon a sharp rock, blood and guts gushing out like a lumpy crimson soup.”

Sanji paled. Robin seemed to be enjoying the gory description, _a little too much_. It occurred to him that this was the perfect opportunity to address just what had happened in the pit. And most importantly the skeletons. “Robin…” He started off hesitantly, “Just what ha-“

Robin cut him off, in her creepy almost psychic way, “You want to know the details of my misfortune in the Ruin?”

He nodded, unsure what to say. But Robin seemed ready to talk about it.

Closing her eyes, Robin exhaled a long breath, the sound of a rattle unmistakable. Upon opening her eyes, she looked more serious. “I entered the Ruin by myself which in hindsight was foolish.” She pressed the tips of her fingers together, “The next part I am not so sure of…” She paused, “I remember feeling an intense stabbing pain in my leg. That’s what brought me to.”

Sanji looked at her confused.

Smiling almost wryly she said, “There’s time missing. From when I entered the Ruin to then waking up in that pit. I honestly cannot say whether I fell in it myself, or if I was pushed.”

His eyes widened at the frightening implication that there could have been someone or something else in there. But he hadn’t seen anyone enter or leave the Ruin bar Robin. What did that mean, was this other person still inside the Ruin? The thought alone sent shivers through his body. He decided to move on from the subject and asked, “What about the skeletons?”

Sniffing Robin moved a little underneath her duvet, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “I have a few theories but nothing concrete. “

He gave her a look, one that asked for her to explain more.

Obliging him, she pursed her lips into a thin line, “It appears to be a mass grave of some sort. Being located in a Church Ruin would imply some tie to religious beliefs.” She massaged her temple in thought, “I need to research it more. I had an inkling that the Ruin was roughly 14th Century…” She became lost in thought.

Several minutes passed like that, until Sanji decided to comment. 

Immediately Robin interrupted him, “Anyway you go should find Zoro. I want you to demand the proper story from him. Even if you two don’t reconcile your relationship. He owes you.” She glanced away for a moment, her expression pinched. “No, he owes me at this point. I want the honest truth. I’m tired of trying to put the pieces together while he holds all the answers behind his back.”

Gulping around a hard lump in his throat, Sanji agreed.

She smiled fondly, and patted him on the cheek. “Now leave me. I have decoding and research to do.” With a twinkle in her eye she lifted the Log Book only to freeze instantly at the page it was open at. Blinking comically, she pressed a hand to her mouth, hushing an ‘Oh My.’

“What, what is it?” Sanji asked. Curiosity taking over, he gently tugged the book free from her hand. A couple pages flicked forward as he turned the book round to get a better look. 

In skilled pencil strokes a graphite image had been created of a young woman smiling cheerfully. There was so much emotion and vigour captured on paper. He flicked to the previous page, seeing another drawing that had the same woman lying curled up asleep, her dark hair dancing around the page like ribbons. 

He recognised this woman; he’d seen her before somewhere. 

Flicking to the page before that, the one that Robin had initially seen, he almost scrunched it up in a jolt of lust. There sketched out an imitation of the scene from the Titanic Movie was the same woman, lounging naked upon a sofa. Her small perky breasts were expertly sketched with glossy shading. His eyes roved over the page and it clicked in his head as to who the woman was. _Vivi._

Robin took the book back, a devious glint in her eyes. “I think we’ve solved the mystery as to why Nami was so secretive of the Log Book.”

A line of blood ran free from Sanji’s nostril, the trickle before the oncoming flood. As his mind supplied that Miss Nami had sketched nudes of her girlfriend and that the sofa she was lying on, looked a lot like the one in the Radio Station. And he’d been in there, in _their canoodle_ _room_. Suddenly a lot of things made sense. And shit, he was going to struggle to look at Miss Nami again without suffering a nosebleed. Well he could just try picturing Franky and his Cyborg sex play… _Yep that was an instant boner killer._

Robin shook her head wearing a knowing look. She placed the Log Book down next to her. The pages flickered through like a flip book, as though turned by a ghostly hand. 

Sanji stood to leave, his thoughts still on less savoury things.

The book lingered on an open page directly in its heart displaying a sketch, different to the others. Jet black in colour, a wicked blot of ink warped outside at the edges like haggard feathers. A prominent black beak and empty whites of eyes stared out from the page. 

Neither Robin nor Sanji saw the ominous image just as the book snapped shut with a ghostly clap.

*

Scuffing his boot along the damp ground, Sanji kicked aside a large tuft of grass. He stood just at the edge of the compound. Night had fallen, the occasional beam of light shot out overhead from the Lighthouse Tower. Although it did nothing to illuminate the Isle. Robin’s advice lay heavily in his mind: go resolve the conflict with Zoro or at least get some answers. But Zoro’s warning spoke louder in his mind, _‘Don’t leave the compound at night.’_

He sucked on the cigarette between his lips, the tip a red spot in the dark. Above him the stars were missing, the moon omitted behind heavy and the ever present clouds. If he didn’t go now, who knew when he would? He felt fear twist his gut. Yet on the outside he didn’t show it. Standing coolly in the dark, his posture straight and proud, the cold breeze nicked at the stands of hair falling over his eye. He tucked his coat further around him, feeling the soft brush of warm fabric at his nape. 

He scanned out the darkness before him. People thought they knew what darkness was, but this, this was true darkness, the complete absence of light. When he was younger and stupidly rebellious, he had snuck out at night, wanting to explore the town. It had been dark then, but not like this. Then there had been street lights adding shades of fuzzy orange to the dark. His father, or Old Man as he affectionately called him, had scolded him for sneaking out. Ranting about the dangers of the night and why it wasn’t safe. 

And yet Sanji thought to himself, it wasn’t the dark or night that was to be feared. It was what was hiding within that darkness. Concealed, unknown and unseen. That was what was truly terrifying. He rolled the cigarette between his teeth, grinding slightly on the end. This darkness before him was solid and foreboding in nature. Did he dare to venture out?

Taking a step forward he heard his boots crunch softly. The temperature had fallen lower and the dew on the grass had frozen over forming little icicles. Exhaling billowing smoke through his nose, he gripped the torch between his fingers and clicked it into life. A thin but resolute beam illuminated the grass before him like a pathway made only of light. He trundled forward, keeping his eyes on the light beam, if he was lucky; he’d make it to Zoro’s bunker. If he wasn’t, he’d walk right off the edge of the cliff. _What a great alternative!_

The memory from the time he had almost fallen made his heart pound in his ears. He felt his chest clench as he recalled what had happened next. Zoro’s arms, had wrapped around him tightly, holding him safe. He hated to admit that he was feeling needy, that he wanted those arms around him again. But in the corner of his being, he worried that it was too late, the damage to their relationship irreparable. He knew himself that he had gone too far, he’d lost control and acted violently; while Zoro had just taken it, bore the brunt of the attack. 

He kept walking, the grass crunching under his feet. But he had to try; if he didn’t try to fix it then he would never know. And if anything, Zoro was worth trying for.

Inside the belly of darkness, occasionally it was punctured by the Lighthouse’s beam overhead like a shooting star. Somehow by pure chance or divine fate he had managed to make it down to the grassy area containing the sheep. Silent now, he could hear their loud snorts and exhales of hot breath. Their beady eyes glinted yellow and empty in the dark like spectral beings watching. Their hooves made a sharp crunch as they backed away from him. 

He ignored them; his mind on their owner. Sliding down a familiar slip of hill he carefully and cautiously trekked the narrow path around the Isle to where he remembered Zoro’s bunker had been. He only hoped he was travelling the correct way, it was nearly impossible to tell. A vine of anxiety had winded down his spine. A strange intrusive thought bothered him, that in this darkness, his torch was the only guiding light. And yet in that same manner, if one were to follow the torch light back to its source, they would find him. Almost like a spotlight leading any monsters straight to him. 

He chided himself; there was no one else out here on the Isle. His Lighthouse members were all within the compound and Zoro was in his bunker. Well hopefully he was. His heart dropped. Shit what if he had come all this way and Zoro wasn’t even there?

Tripping over a rock, he lost his grip on his torch. It fell, the beam of light clicked out. And then he was in total darkness, stuck God knows where along the narrow path to Zoro’s bunker, completely blind. 

 _Fuck, Fuck_ _Fuck_ , he cursed hotly under his breath.

He dropped down to his knees, the grass cold and sticking to his palms. He couldn’t see anything; he couldn’t even see his own goddamn hand in front of his face. Carefully he reached out feeling and patting the ground around him in a vain attempt to relocate his torch. He shuffled forward along the grass. He was so close to the cliff edge. On the tip of his fingers he felt the smooth cylinder of his torch, in his urgency to grab it; he sent it flying away instead.

_Shitty Fuck_ _Fuck_ _!_

He was well and truly screwed now. The darkness pressed down on him like a living being determined to smother him. His breath accelerated, sounding too loud in the quiet night. In the background a single sheep uttered a low guttural sound, as though laughing at him. 

A large gush of wind blasted him in the face, almost knocking him over onto his side. He dug his hands into the grass like a lifeline; this spot was far too exposed. He crawled forward hugging the ground, each movement shaky and uncertain. His heart raced with fear, but he ignored it, he wouldn’t die like this. He refused to fall off the damn cliff into the shitty dark sea and go splat on the shitty sharp rocks. **He refused** **to** **!**  

Slowly but certainly he shuffled along, hoping beyond reason that he was heading to the inlet that had been Zoro’s bunker area. But it was impossible to tell and for what felt like twenty minutes, he continued to crawl like a maggot in the dirt, completely blind. 

Finally his hands connected with craggy ground instead of grass. He felt around, for anything, a familiar marker or something. Just then his head bumped into something hard and metallic. He pulled back, gripping his forehead, feeling a rush of pain in his skull. That brain rattling moment was enough to give him an epiphany. He scooped his hand in his pocket and pulled out his lighter. And for a second, he actually couldn’t believe just how stupid he’d been. He held it out from himself, his thumb biting into the spark wheel. He flicked it once, twice igniting a few sparks. 

The wind blew harshly threatening to smack away any potential flame. Cupping his hand around the lighter, he used the other to hit the clutch again. A single long yellow flame burst into life. Carefully like a precious beating heart, he cupped it within his hands and held it just in front of his face. He murmured to it under his breath, “* _Hello_ _belle petite_ _flamme_.”

The little dancing flame revealed that directly before him was a hanging cooking pot. He looked down below, seeing an old makeshift fire. He felt his chest swell with relief. He’d done it; he’d made it to Zoro’s campsite. He sat up on his hunches, angling the flame around looking for the secret hatch. Tentatively he rose to his feet, walking along the stone cut into the cliff’s face.  Using his palm, he felt more than saw the secret handle. He lowered the lighter down as he felt some of his earlier relief drain away. Now that he had made it here, he’d have to face what could be a very angry and disgruntled Zoro. Shit, he’d managed to make it to the wolf’s den alive only to be eaten alive!

Unbeknownst to Sanji, a figure stood just behind him. It loomed quietly over his shoulder. Larger than what was humanly possible and almost as dark as the darkness itself. Its beady black eyes glinted in the lighter’s tiny flame. It cocked its head to the side, a long pointed beak about the length of a full grown man’s arm protruding from its face. It seemed to watch in wicked fascination, its dark robed face roving up and down Sanji’s form as if it were searching for something.

Making up his mind, Sanji slid the rock across, granting him access. He pocketed his lighter as the warm air and lights from the bunker greeted him. 

The thing standing behind him, shied away from the light, slinking back into the darkness.

Sanji felt a strange shiver run down his neck. He quickly stepped into the bunker and turned to look back out at the darkness. For a second there, he had could have sworn he had felt something standing there behind him. He shook his head; his mind was playing tricks on him. He pulled the bunker door shut. 

Hands in his pockets, his posture stoic, he did his best to maintain an air of confidence. He needed to keep all his cards close to his chest. If he greeted Zoro in a grovelling position, well then that would destroy the equal power he wanted. And Zoro still needed to apologise. Actually they both did but anyway. He walked down the bunker stairs like a man approaching the ring for a fight. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that though.

*

Sat up in the lamp room, Nami tucked her chin under her turtle neck. It had been ages since she’d covered lamp duty and she was being very strongly reminded as to why that was. There was something about sitting still for a long time that allowed the cold to seep in to your very bones. Her fingers twitched with boredom, an itch to sketch and draw. She sighed out loud in misery. She hadn’t been able to find her Log Book.

At first Vivi and herself had shared the Log Book between them, taking down the daily notes. Until one day Nami had discovered something. By pure chance she had flipped through the book and had uncovered a diary entry. Recognising the handwriting as Vivi’s, she had tapped her lip, wondering if would be rude to read it but then it was _their_ Log Book, which they shared. Unable to deny herself, she read the entry. Her heart had raced as the other woman’s inner thoughts and feelings were revealed in a single snippet. 

_Vivi_ _had developed feelings for her_ _and was_ _unsure as to how to voice them!_

Nami’s heart had soared, for the past month she had been nursing a crush on Vivi. Afraid to act on it incase it was seen as an abuse of her position as Principal Keeper. And for fear that if Vivi didn’t reciprocate her feelings that their friendship would be ruined beyond repair. But elated by the admission of feelings, Nami just had to show Vivi that she felt the same. And so below Vivi’s confession she had written her own note, requesting that Vivi meet her that night at the Radio Station. 

The next morning she had handed Vivi the Log Book, trying her best to ignore the excited energy in her body and the butterflies in her stomach. 

Later that night there had been a tentative knock at the Radio Station’s door. Bashfully Vivi had entered the room. But before Nami could even speak, Vivi had started spilling apologies. About how she was so sorry, that she knew such a crush was unprofessional. She had pleaded that Nami did not request for her to be sent away.

Stunned at how upset she was, Nami had approached her, gripping the other woman’s shoulders. She hadn’t expected Vivi to assume the worst. She cupped the other woman’s face, her brown eyes warm as she breathed, “ _Vivi_ ”.

Vivi quietened down, her face flaming bright red. “Y-Yes P-Principal Keeper,” She stumbled awkwardly over the words, her face so close to Nami’s that it was making her dizzy. 

A brilliant grin appeared on Nami’s face just as she pressed her lips to Vivi’s. 

Vivi swooned her body trembling, as steam practically puffed out from her ears. Nami pulled away and Vivi’s mouth hung open in pure surprise.

Licking her lips Nami stuck her tongue out, a cheeky grin in place. Her body bent in a seductive ‘S’ shape, enhancing the curve of her hips and tiny waist. “I like you too.” She punctuated each word with a tap of her finger to Vivi’s nose cutely.

Vivi’s eyes widened her legs threatening to give out, “Really?” She squeaked.

“Of course, and,” She pressed her finger to Vivi’s lips, the other girl still red faced. “Call me Nami.” She whispered coyly, her face now inches from Vivi’s, her lips in a perfect glossy cupid’s bow.

And that had been the start of their relationship; the Radio Station became ‘their place.’ They spent countless nights curled around each other, their soft laughter drifting around the room like music. Falling asleep entangled in each other’s arms; the usual sofa blanket tossed aside, their combined body heat kept them warm. The morning would sun creep in through the window, kissing their bare skin and revealing a bluish tint to Vivi’s hair. 

In the cold Lighthouse Tower Nami felt a pang of nostalgia in her chest. What she wouldn’t give to relive those moments. 

Abruptly and rather violently the aluminium base that the Aerobeacon was mounted onto made a shrill metallic sound. The gears from the motor inside the base screeched as though caught on something. 

Nami rose to her feet in a flurry, her coat flapping open in her haste. She crouched down beside the Aerobeacon, opening its hatch on to locate the source. However she couldn’t see anything. With alarm she realised that the high intensity beam was stuck at ‘on’, shooting a constant beam out to sea instead of flickering off and on every 30 seconds. The gears in the motor complained angrily as sparks hissed from the intertwined electrical system. 

Her knowledge and expertise told her to prepare for the worst. From a cabinet next to the beacon she quickly yanked out a kit and pulled on protective goggles and a face shield. She could see in her peripheral vision, the thick beam of light shooting continuously out between the panelled slits of the high intensity lamp, blindingly. The intense heat continued to build, a volcano ready to erupt, something was going to give. Sweat beaded on her brow as visible steam began to rise in the tower room and cloud up the glass windows. 

She needed to cut off the power to the lamp immediately. Tugging protective heat gloves over her fingers, she ran down the flights of stairs heading directly for the fuel house that was connected to the bottom of the tower. 

Suddenly a howl and freak gush of cold air blasted her in the face, travelling like an invisible icy dragon up the stone steps. Below her, the door to the Tower, swung and banged viciously on its hinge. Someone had opened the Tower door?!

The rapid difference in temperature, this fast moving chill so freakish and impossible was going to collide with the rising heat upstairs. Instantly she knew what was going to happen, her boots slipping on the stone steps as she struggled to twist herself around.

A massive explosion sounded from above. She froze, her hands pressed to the stone walls as shock rippled through her and all sound was blotted away. 

The top of the steps became illuminated in fiery reds and gold. 

With fear and trepidation coursing through her veins she knew that what she had feared had come true. The sudden blast of cold air had caused the lamp and mirror within the Aerobeacon to explode. Her intelligent mind played the scene in her brain. The lamp and mirror had expanded with the heat but when hit with cold air, the surface had tried to shrink but the inside remained heated by the lamp. Causing such stress on the glass that it had formed cracks and then exploded.  

Cautiously Nami approached the top most step, sweat trickling down her neck. The Lamp room was lit up in angry flames creating menacing shadows. The glass windows encasing the light room shrilled a sick cracking sound. She looked on in horror as deep cracks like angry lightning bolts grew jagged along the glass. The intense contrast in temperature from the outside being freezing to the raging inferno inside was going to cause the glass to fracture.

Nami realised she had a minute before the glass windows exploded.

Turning on her heel, she ran as fast as she could down the steps. She had to contain the fire, if it spread to the fuel house, the generator would explode, and they’d be without any indoor heating or electricity. Her boots clacked loudly as she slammed into the fuel house. The large generator hummed and groaned. It wasn’t making its usual quiet ticking. She frantically noted that all the arrows on the safety dials were pointing to red for ‘ **danger** ’. She gripped the emergency stop lever, pulling it down as hard as she could. The machine groaned loudly powering down as it electric supply was cut. 

All the lights throughout the compound flicked out.

Nami ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall and held it outstretched in her arms like a weapon. Her hearing was returning; a shrill ringing in her ears but beneath that she could hear the cruel hiss of flames as they danced inside the lamp room. From the staircase she could see the colours of the fiery wave swaying madly. Without stopping to think she began the ascent. 

*

Sanji climbed down the bunker’s staircase which in actuality resembled more a haggard step ladder. Each step from his boots caused a dull thud to resound off the old steel. When he reached the bottom, he took in his new surroundings. Steel walls and steel floors. Almost like he was inside a giant tin can buried 10 feet below the ground. It was a disconcerting thought to say the least and again he wondered how Zoro could spend every night down here. 

He delved deeper into the tin can, the narrow passageway opening up to a single sizeable room, maybe about 20ft x 20ft. So far there was no sign of Zoro. Sanji had half expected the other man to come barrelling out at him like some guard dog the moment he’d opened the hatch. 

Warily he explored the tin room. There was a kitchenette stationed in one corner -again made entirely of steel- the mess of used cups, bowls and cooking utensils were you guessed it, all stainless steel.  And surprise surprise stored under the sink, stacked up in uniform rows were tins of food... steel tins.

A square wooden table in the centre of the room broke up the monotony; several mismatched wooden chairs were congregated around it. Upon the table sat a vast amount of empty beer bottles. He took it to mean, that Zoro was either a heavy drinker or he was a lazy untidy bum. The second option seemed more likely, although possibly both. 

Along the opposite wall sat an old beat up sofa, around it like a makeshift pen were various sizes of cardboard boxes containing what looked to be an assortment of supplies. A narrow corridor veered off just next to the sofa, but it was unlit and rather uninviting. 

He pressed in deeper past the table, ignoring his urge to check the kitchenette for fresh food. Their supplies had fallen very low in the Lighthouse. 

Just past the sofa the metal world was cut in half with a long makeshift patterned curtain hanging from tiny hooks hammered into the steel ceiling. He ran his fingers along it, marvelling at the silky texture. He pulled it aside just enough to reveal the other half of the room. In there it was darker, the lanterns dimmed down. The furniture and home comforts told him instantly that it was the bedroom. 

He stepped inside. This nook of the bunker felt rather inviting. The silky curtain continued around the entirety of the nook, ridding away the steel. A quaint frame bed rested gently along one side of the room. The harsh cold of the metal floor had also been hidden beneath several mismatched rugs that were somehow charming rather than tacky. The other side of the room was dotted with a desk, a set of drawers, and signs of a makeshift wardrobe. He also spied an impressive set of barbells lounging on a rug, next to dumbbells.

 _So Zoro worked out,_ _huh. Well it was kinda obvious from_ _all_ _his muscles._ He stopped his thoughts there, reluctant to let his thoughts stay on images of Zoro’s very well shaped body.

Feeling unsure as what to do, he approached the bed. It was unmade, the duvet in a crumpled heap. Plumping himself down on the edge he laid his arm out, running his fingers along the duvet feeling how the fabric was well worn with use yet still soft. He looked around from his new position; there was something kinda cosy about this nook, almost like he was tucked into a secret spot. He realised he felt safe. That he hadn’t felt that once in his own bunk’s quarters.

Absentmindedly he pulled the duvet over to himself, tugging it around his shoulders. He reasoned with himself that he’d only done it as he felt cold.  Not because he wanted to hug _Zoro’s_ _duvet_. With the duvet wrapped around him he was gently bathed in a familiar scent. He felt a rueful grin slide into place. It was the unmistakable scent of _him_ , a combination of musk and wild grass. Inhaling deeply, he felt sadness twist in his gut with a stab of loneliness and fear. Fear that Zoro would reject his proposal to make things right again. His shoulders sagged at the thought. 

The fabric curtain pulled to the side, a metal chime sounding as it ran along the hooks it was attached to. Zoro blearily stumbled into the bedroom, rubbing his eyes with the back of his fist. He had fallen into a fitful asleep and had awakened randomly. Needing to empty his bladder, he had headed down the passageway by the sofa to his latrine. Bladder empty, now his plan was to return to bed and hopefully never wake up again. ‘13L4CK 42’ lay heavily on his mind along with a constant barrage of worries about Sanji. He’d spent the last couple days trying to block these thoughts out with extensive weight lifting and drinking way too much of his limited alcohol supply. 

He paused in his motions and staggered back a step in pure shock. There sitting on his bed, wrapped in his duvet like a sexy nymph was none other than the very cause of his heart ache and obsessive training. His mouth fluttered open and shut for an awkward minute, before he stormed out past the curtain, closing it behind him.

Quickly Sanji chucked the duvet aside, realising he’d been caught. An incredibly embarrassed feeling washed over him from head to toe. _So much for his_ _stoic posturing plan_ _._

A minute passed before Zoro pulled the curtain aside again. He walked in covering his eyes and when he removed his hand, he looked stunned to see that Sanji was in fact still there and not an alcohol induced mirage, “S-Shit, what?” He mumbled under his breath as he paced around the room for a second trampling over his rugs.

From his perch on the bed, Sanji followed him with his eyes, his cheeks still felt pink with embarrassment. And he thought to himself how funny it was that just three days apart had caused him to miss the other man so much, for his heart to ache. He had tried to hide the heart ache under his anger, but it had been there waiting. Seeing Zoro now in the flesh just heightened his feelings for him and he felt the unmistakable need to just envelope him in his arms.

Zoro stopped in the centre of the nook and turned to face Sanji, a range of emotions wavering over his face, disbelief, confusion and then what looked like unmistakable anger. Sanji prepared himself, their last time together had gotten physically violent, who was to say it would be anything different this time?

Zoro walked toward him, his chest muscles clearly rippling under his tight v-neck long sleeved shirt. He stopped right before him, his thighs almost touching Sanji’s knees. His good eye looked furious and from here Sanji could see dark bags under his eyes and days old stubble on his chin. It occurred to him that Zoro hadn’t been taking care of himself either. Even his dishevelled hair was looking more unkempt than usual.  

Zoro opened his mouth and then shook his head closing it again as he agitatedly ruffled his hair.

Mentally Sanji prepared himself for whatever bombardment of verbal insults was about to come out. He knew Zoro was upset with him, that he felt betrayed in the same way Sanji had.

Scrubbing a hand across his days’ old stubble, Zoro’s chest rose as he inhaled and then fell slowly. He looked tentatively at Sanji and his voice was surprisingly calm, “How- How did you get here?”

Sanji stared; he hadn’t expected that to be the first thing out of Zoro’s mouth. So he didn’t answer. In his mind, the list of things he wanted to say became jumbled.

The cogs turned in Zoro’s mind, “Goddamnit Sanji,” He hissed as realisation hit him, “You came here in the dead of night, **in the dark** , didn’t you?!” He groaned loudly as though pained, holding his arms up behind his head gripping the back of his neck.

Gritting his teeth in a huff, Sanji felt irritation stir at being spoken to like a child. A cold sneer formed on his face. “Yeah, I did.” He replied rudely. Folding his arms he rose up to his feet so that he and Zoro were at eye level. Only they were practically standing on top of one another, a tiny gap between them. This close to each other there was an obvious kinetic pull in the air, like their energy or souls were making a connection entirely unseen to the human eye. 

Zoro’s fingers twitched, fighting back the familiar urge to plant his hands on Sanji’s waist. He held his breath, his pupil dilating betraying his lust which was mixing in with his anger, “Didn’t I tell you to _never_ leave the compound at night _.”_ He chastised, his tone had fallen lower huskier, if that was even possible.

Sanji felt his blood pressure rise along with a spike of arousal. He crowded forward into Zoro’s personal space till they were almost touching foreheads, their breath intermingling. He watched Zoro close his eye and inhale deeply. Licking his teeth, Sanji tilted his head in a coy manner, “I guess that’s two things I’ve done now that you forbade me to.”

Taken aback from the admission Zoro’s eyebrows comically rise up his forehead, “You… No.” He shook his head, and stepped back, breaking their incredibly intimate stance, “Shit, you went into the Ruin?” He whispered hoarsely. 

Sanji nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact.

Zoro backed away instantly yelled, “FUCK,” He lashed out kicking at the chair sat next to his desk.

Watching him, Sanji felt his muscles tense in preparation for a fight. 

Clutching the back of the chair, Zoro bent over it, puffing heavily his back expanding and falling with huffs of air. “You’ve no idea, what you’ve done.” He said facing away from him.

Marching over to him, Sanji roughly grabbed him by the arm, tugging until they were facing each other again, his hand squeezing around Zoro’s thick upper arm muscles “Because you won’t tell me!” 

Zoro glanced away at the vehement look in Sanji’s eyes. 

Sanji shook his arm, jolting the other man’s gaze back. He was done with this avoidance bullshit. He said as much with agitation in his voice. 

Glaring at him, Zoro took a moment to think, “Have you seen them yet?”

Blinking confusedly, Sanji wondered if Zoro meant the skeletons in the pit.

Zoro continued, a strange look almost like fear creeping into his features, clouding his eye over, “Now that you’ve entered, they’ll be coming for you.”

A chill ran down Sanji’s spine, just what the hell did that mean? “Who?” He shook Zoro, expecting another cryptic answer, “Tell me, Goddamnit.” 

Pulling free from his grip, Zoro yanked open a drawer from his desk. He pulled out a sheath of papers, bound in a leather band. He snapped the band, spilling the papers loose as he shoved them into Sanji’s arms. “Everything you want to know so badly is in there.”

Sanji struggled to clasp the papers in his arms, several sheets flittering out onto the floor. A page landed upside down, catching his attention. Instead of meticulous type face, it showed a photograph. 

He bent down lifting the picture. It appeared to be an old time mural, carved into the skin of an animal hide. It depicted massive humanoid creatures gathered in a circle, donned entirely in black. In place of arms they bore what looked like black wings and instead of faces, they had long black beaks. All around them scattered in the mural where skeletal remains. But what held Sanji’s gaze were the clearly human people trapped in the centre of the creatures. They screamed in agony their faces contorted and bodies disfigured with strange lumps.

“What is this?”

“The curse of the Isle,” Zoro answered, pinning Sanji with a look.

“But this has to be from centuries ago-“

“It is. Its old as hell,” Zoro interjected, “The curse didn’t start with those three Keepers. They were just another set of victims to it.” He walked away and slumped down onto his bed. _And now you will be too._ The despondent thought struck him. He had well and truly failed his mission.

Sanji pointed to the creatures, hearing Robin’s words in his mind, he spoke aloud, “Large black birds.”

Zoro huffed an affirmation.

“But what are they?”He looked up from the picture watching Zoro. He felt a wave of calm begin to settle within him now that he was finally getting some real answers.

“ _Them_.” Zoro answered with finality. It was clear he wasn’t going to divulge any more on the matter.

Shuffling the papers in his arms, Sanji noticed that most of the words appeared to be written in a different language. His first thought was to get the information to Robin. She would be able to decipher and understand it better than anyone.

Holding his head in his arms, Zoro spoke and his voice sounded almost broken and lost directed down towards the floor, “I… I’m sorry, I tried to protect you.”

Did Zoro just apologise? Sanji set the papers down on the desk and approached the other man, sitting down next to him on the bed, their arms pressed together. The bed dipped and squeaked under the extra weight. 

Zoro stiffened, afraid to look up at the man next to him.

“What do you mean…” Sanji waited a beat before saying, “Zoro.” He used a simpering tone, rolling the vowels softly.

Zoro looked up slowly, his hands still griping his head. He was surprised at Sanji’s tone, wondering if it maybe meant that he had a chance to fix their relationship. He swallowed feeling a tingle of nerves start in his stomach and decided it best to continue, “Once you step foot in there, you become marked and it won’t stop till they have you.”

“Marked? What won’t stop?” Sanji asked, feeling a hint of hysteria creep into his voice. Just what the fuck was going on. But he was so close to Zoro right now, and he admitted that feeling the heat from just their arms touch made him want to… A fantasy played in his mind, one in which he climbed on top of Zoro’s lap. He swallowed, trying to ignore his filthy brain. It didn’t help that he was sitting in Zoro’s bed. How many times at night did he picture himself in this situation but with way sexier outcomes? 

“You’ve seen it already,” Zoro said, “The birds, they’re dead right?”

It took a moment for Sanji to take in the meaning of Zoro’s words; his mind was too busy supplying him with a fantasy of how hot Zoro would look pinned down on the bed, shirtless. _No_ _,_ he mentally scolded himself. He needed to concentrate! Zoro’s previous sentence finally clicked in his head and a bewildered look crossed his face. 

Zoro nodded, “It’s like a plague, a plague of death. And it’s working its way up the food chain.”

 _Plague, death?_ Shaking his head Sanji rose to his feet. He wanted answers but this was just farfetched and beyond reality. Yes the birds were dead but that had been just a freak occurrence. He grabbed the papers, and hurriedly left pushing the curtain aside. He needed time to think, and if he stayed here any longer his sex addled brain was going to have him jump Zoro. 

Following after him Zoro called out to him. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the Lighthouse,” He snipped.

“You can’t go the fuck back outside in the dark!” Zoro barked. 

They had just reached the bunker’s stairs. When Zoro physically grabbed and pulled him back. They struggled for a moment but Zoro refused to let go, keeping his grip tight. 

It was so hard, Zoro thought, to hold Sanji like this and not kiss him, to not wrap his arms around him and keep him safe. He didn’t know if he was allowed to anymore. Sanji was leaving and they hadn’t talked at all about their fight. He hadn’t had a chance to make it right.

Sanji stopped struggling, his eyes lingering on Zoro’s hands holding him. The firm grip and hint of desperation in Zoro’s face told him that Zoro was not going to let go. He himself felt at war with his feelings. He wanted to shove Zoro away, berate him for stopping him and at the same time he wanted to pull him closer and smother that stupid look on his face with kisses.

He opted for a compromise. He pushed forward, his lips capturing Zoro’s. 

Completely taken aback, Zoro slackened his grip, his hands fumbling along Sanji’s arms, unsure whether to hold him or not.

Sanji shoved him.

Zoro toppled back.

Hissing Sanji tenderly touched his mouth. Fuck he’d forgot about his busted lip.

With a sinking sensation Zoro saw blood drip down Sanji’s chin. From the wound he had inflicted on him three days ago. Guilt punched his insides. 

Sanji turned and climbed up the steps, without waiting he opened the hatch to the outside. It swung open with a loud creak but instead of displaying darkness, there was a vibrant orange glow. “What the-?” 

Zoro climbed up the step ladder behind him and gently eased in next to him. His hand brushed along Sanji’s side until it came to a stop in the small of his back. Together they stepped out, Zoro’s hand gripping the fabric of Sanji’s coat protectively. 

From where they stood, they could see the top of the light house was ablaze. The single candle on the lopsided birthday cake was lit. The flames reached up to heaven, as though they could burn through the shroud of black clouds. 

*

END OF CHAPTER 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French Translation  
> *Hello beautiful little flame.
> 
> I must say here another apology to anyone who has commented and hasnt recieved a reply from me yet. I have seen and read your comments and they have warmed my heart so much! Thank you all so much, <3 And they really got me to push this chapter out for you guys. I hope to soon get replying to you all (I think its I just want to write out a proper reply rather than rush, know what I mean?)
> 
> As always, I love you guys and feel free to send me a message or talk to me on tumblr. (CreepyCoat)


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicating this little Note Box, to my two darling friends.  
> ZosanLaw & AlfredKvaak <3 <3
> 
> Without ZosanLaw this chapter would not have been posted tonight. Seriously such incredible insight and helpful Beta advice- pointed out tiny little errors that my own eyes missed. Thank you so very much! <3
> 
> AlfredKvaak, this fic would not exist without you, my muse and inspiration. Thank you for always being there and for entertaining my ideas involving certain characters. ;) <3
> 
> Shout out to the lovely CharlieNozaki, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Your thoughtful comments always murder me in the best way. <3
> 
> Without further ado~

_Do not go gentle into that good night,_

_Rage, rage on against the dying of the light._

_Dylan Thomas_

*

Curtains drawn, bedroom door shut. The darkness uncoiled, slinking along ruffled hills and dips in the blanket, reaching for the sole slumbering inhabitant.

Robin awoke with a start. Minding her leg, she struggled to right herself in bed as twinges of pain raced along the bone. She held her hand flush to her chest, gasping for air. It had felt like something had been pressing down on her, inhibiting her breathing. Blinking heavily, her eyes adjusted in the dark. She froze in place, eyes widening in alarm. There, at the foot of her bed was an impossible outline of a figure. Air stilled in her chest as fear hit her in a crash, sudden and harsh.

Insidiously like sludge seeping into an open wound, the figure cocked its head to the side fixating on its prey.

Caught like a rabbit in the headlights, Robin’s mind spun into two tangents. One half pure fight or flight and the other complete fascination. Never had she seen such undeniable evidence of an other-worldly being. This was a dream come true, to be visited by a real apparition but nonetheless it was petrifying. Her mind flashed to a biblical reference, recalling that Gabriel’s first spoken words to Mary had been, “Do not be afraid.” The corner of her mouth twitched upwards; the Renaissance had been grossly inaccurate. Angels were not beautiful sculpted men with golden halos around their temples. No this creature was – even with her vast vocabulary, she was unable to draw upon the right word to convey how inhuman it was- indescribable.

Closer now, it appeared to loom like a shadow over the bottom railing of her bed. With a slap of realisation she recognised it. This aberration, this angel was the very creature depicted in the mural that Sanji had given her. And here it was, in the room with her.

As if to confirm her thoughts, its long black beak seemed to glint a sharp _yes_.

Dread sliced into her mind as her instincts warned that this being meant harm. That unless she took action now her life would be in danger. Discretely she eyed her bedside lamp. Would light scare off a creature of the night? Cautiously to avoid detection, she ever so slowly moved her hand along the blanket, fingers outstretched.

In an instant two things happened.

The creature before the bed raised its appendage like arms, the shape creating a blatant mockery of the cross. With a rustle, long thin black feathers manifested, sprouting from bone. The air seemed to rattle and hum with an unearthly energy. It was making itself known; this crow like being could be none other than the angel of death.

Mind temporarily shattering at this life changing vision, Robin’s adrenaline kicked in. Bodily she lunged for the lamp, almost rolling herself out of the bed. She grunted in pain, her bad leg twisting. If this indeed was the angel of death, she wouldn’t go gently into the night. She clasped the lamp, hitting the switch to ‘on’. Bright light flashed the room into safety. Scanning through the strands of hair that had billowed in front of her face, she searched every corner of the room. It was gone.

Waiting a long moment, frozen in position, hand around the stem of the lamp. She became confident that it wasn’t going to return. She righted herself in the bed, propping her back up on the cushions. A soft groan escaped her lips; her leg ached. Had what she just witnessed been real or just an after effect from a dream? Could she trust her mind in her current condition? Sleep deprived, barely eating and in pain. Any of those could hinder her rational judgement.

For a long moment she relived the scene over and over again. Each time it lost its intensity becoming more like a dream, the fear of the angel ebbing away. She eyed the Log Book, resting on the chest of drawers next to her. She lifted it. And in a moment unlike herself the book slipped from her fingers landing with a soft thud on her blanket. She frowned, she was never clumsy. With an odd twisting in her gut it occurred to her that it had felt more like the book had been yanked from her grip.

With an audible click, almost like someone had snapped their fingers, the book flipped open. The pages fluttered by fast as though being turned by a ghostly hand. Robin felt a quiver start in her own fingertips. Was this truly happening, right before her very eyes and in the light? Her hands hovered in the air. She wasn’t shaking she told herself, it was just jitters from low blood sugar.

The book stopped with another audible snap of its spine and then it lay still, waiting.

Hesitantly Robin reached out one finger to the book. Afraid that it would clamp shut as soon as she touched it. But it didn’t. Gingerly she lifted it up, displaying the heart of the book. What greeted her was a dark ink image nearly devouring what little remained of white page. Her breath caught in her throat and she nearly dropped the book back onto the blanket as many questions flooded her mind. Why, why was the dark figure depicted in Nami’s book? Did Nami see the angel too? But why would it visit her? Robin could understand herself having visions about giant black angels of death after her accident -whether it was truly an accident or not had yet to be determined- in the Ruin. But for what reason would Nami?

Flipping several pages backwards from the image, the pages fluttered in the quiet room, she searched for some kind of reason or answer. _There_ , she stopped on a page displaying a long thick block of cursive script, most likely a diary entry. This seemed to be an older entry, dated over a month ago.

Running a finger along the passage the words formed a picture in her mind. Quietly Robin read to herself: _“Vivi and I spent our last day together out in the wild grass. It was mild-“_

*

The sun high in the sky shone brightly on the little Isle fostering a mild breeze that carried a blush of warmth. Nami stretched out her long legs in the tall grass, the fabric of her waterproof trousers crinkling quietly. The stalks of grass were so tall they resembled a green feather like curtain, creating an intimate nest around her and Vivi.

Sat next to Nami; Vivi had her legs folded neatly underneath her, a bundle of wild flowers sashaying in her lap, vibrant with brilliant red and pink petals. Sweetly she hummed under her breath, a dreamlike tune; one that Nami had heard her sing many times right before they fell asleep. It was ever so soothing; the entire moment serene, if not bittersweet.

Languidly Nami had been sketching Vivi. Capturing her lost in the moment, how her lips were gently pinched together in concentration, her dark eyes glowing, fully absorbed as her slender fingers made easy work of linking the flowers together.

“You’re frowning,” Vivi chided.

Fixing her face -she didn’t want to get premature wrinkles after all- Nami spoke. Her voice carrying along in the warm breeze, “It just feels bittersweet, that’s all.”

Looking up from her work, Vivi slotted the last two flowers together to complete the chain. There was a definite sadness in her expression. She sucked in her bottom lip, released it and said, “Because I’m leaving tomorrow…”

Setting her book aside, Nami nuzzled in close to Vivi, pressing her cheek to the other girl’s shoulder. She could feel Vivi’s long dark hair tickle her neck. “You say that like it’s your fault Vivi.”

Wearing a small smile on her lips that didn’t reach her eyes, Vivi chose not to answer and instead lifted up the flower chain offering it to Nami.

Nami righted herself into a sitting position and delicately touched the vibrant petals on the flowers, marvelling at Vivi’s skill.

Hoisting herself up just a bit –Nami was a little taller than her even while sitting- Vivi placed it upon her head.

A huge mesmeric grin blossomed on Nami’s face. Coyly she posed and stuck her tongue out. “How do I look?” She asked while simulating several generic model poses. Each pose was more gorgeous than the last.

Oh if only Vivi had thought to bring a camera with her months ago, she could have captured that smile on film and taken it home with her. She closed her eyes in hope to forever burn the image of Nami’s silly but beautiful poses into her mind. A little laugh escaped her mouth, the sound like tinkling bells.

Pausing in a pose, her arm bent up behind her head like a bikini model, Nami just watched her laugh. Taking in every little detail, determined not to forget a single thing. She blinked slowly and reached up taking the flower chain off her head and placed it on Vivi’s own.

An adorable confused expression popped onto Vivi’s face, wondering at why Nami had done so.

Leaning in close to her, Nami purred lowly so that only she could hear, “With a crown of flowers, you truly are my Princess.”

Vivi felt her whole face blush bright pink at the use of her pet name. Pressing forward, her lips greeted Nami’s with a soft brush. She pulled back, just slightly, so that the long wisps of her hair trailed down and touched Nami’s shoulders. “Then I’ll make another crown so you can be my Queen.”

They lay for a while longer in the grass. Clouds drifted by like loose cotton buds, overhead the sun had begun to trail lower in the sky. Soon it’d be dark and they’d have to return to the compound. Vivi had already started on her second flower chain. Neither girl talked as Nami quietly sketched; the _skritch skritch_ sound of her pencil the only thing audible in their little grass bubble. Until a thought occurred to her, a pin bursting her bubble, that this might be Vivi’s last time on the Isle, ever. Pocketing her pencil, Nami asked over the lull of the swaying grass trying to stave off the sadness in her voice, “Is there anything you want to do, before we have to go back?”

Tying the stems of two flowers together, completing the chain. Vivi paused and pursed her lips cutely in thought. “Besides spending every last minute with you?” She teased.

Rolling her eyes, Nami laughed, “You know what I mean.”

Perking her gaze up, Vivi firmly held eye contact with Nami like she never wanted to look away.

For a moment Nami’s insides froze. How was she going to survive a second without those beautiful dark eyes looking back at her like two endless magic mirrors?

“Well…” Vivi continued in a pondering tone, “I would like to see inside the Ruin.”

Setting the Log Book aside, Nami rolled over onto her stomach, little springs of grass popping up as she moved away, just as Vivi placed the newly finished flower crown on top her head. Pouting in concern Nami said, “Hmm it would be interesting I guess. But that weirdo pervert shepherd is always there.”

“He’s a pervert?”

Nami laughed raucously, “Nah… just all men are.” A train of thought crossed her mind. How men were so easy to exploit and take advantage of, a simple wink here or a flirty smile there and they were like putty in her hands. _But not you, Vivi. I could never manipulate you like that, which is how I know my feelings for you are all too real._

Humming an agreement, Vivi pointed out over their nest of grass, “But he’s asleep right now so we could sneak in.”

“What?” Nami exclaimed, her little train of thought about Vivi interrupted. She hopped up onto her hunkers peering over the tips of the grass. Sure enough there the weirdo was lying sprawled out on the grass, head resting upon a rock. _What_ _kind of weirdo slept outside with a rock for a pillow? Clearly the shepherd was a moron._ “When did he get there?”

With a devious gleam in her eyes, Vivi answered, “He’s been there since we first arrived.” She laughed at his misfortunate at having to suffer hours of listening to them chatting. They weren’t stupid; they knew the Shepherd was watching them. And it turned out, they had won this round, he’d fallen asleep.

With a bounce Nami hopped to her feet, tucking the Log Book into her coat. Her flower crown shifted precariously with the movement but still remained upon her head. She gestured with a roll of her fingers for Vivi to do the same. Vivi carefully stood up to her full height. Her slim frame somewhat drowned under her huge oil skin coat.

Grabbing Vivi’s hand in hers, Nami put a finger to her lip in a shushing motion. Trying but failing to suppress their giggles, together they ran through the wild flowers, the tall grass weaving like gentle green waves around their legs.

Standing just before the entrance to the Ruin, Nami felt her excitement wane. There was something off or wrong about it. She eyed up its structure, wondering how the eroded stone walls managed to hold together, especially with all the vines riddled like snakes between its joints. The sun had dropped lower, almost ready to descend past the horizon. The atmosphere seemed darker and dreary around the Ruin. Even the grass had wilted away and left dirt dry ground behind.

Squeezing Nami’s hand, Vivi had a bad feeling about the Ruin too but she didn’t say anything. It had been her idea after all, she couldn’t back out now.

They shared a look, both faking that everything was alright.

Nami decided to take the lead; the sooner they went inside the damn thing the sooner they could get back safe and sound to the compound. She offered Vivi a reassuring smile and took the first couple steps inside. Immediately a wave of nausea rippled through her and for a second her vision swam. She stepped back, gripping the gritty stone wall to steady herself. Little stones dug into her palm like mini daggers.

“Are you alright?” Vivi asked concerned. She made to cross the threshold into the Ruin but before she could Nami pushed away from the wall, falling onto her knees on the craggy ground.

“Nami!”

Vivi crouched down at her side, tenderly rubbing her back. “What’s wrong?” Her voice gushed with worry as her fingers tenderly tucked a long curly lock of red hair behind Nami’s ear.

Staggering up to her feet, Nami shook her head, her steps uneasy. “Nothing, I’m fine. We should get back to the compound.”

Realising that something had seriously affected her but that Nami wasn’t going to admit it. Vivi shot one last curious look at the Ruin before hooking her arm around Nami’s waist, helping her walk back up to the compound.

 

*

Robin paused, that was the end of the passage. So Nami had been the first to enter the Ruin? Why had she never told them? They had all been gathered in the kitchen that day when they had discussed it. Nami had never offered up the information that she had in fact been. Why? Robin flicked to the next page. Spotting a second shorter diary entry. The writing sloped heavily to one side and the ink had smudged leaving a thumb print. It was an untidy scrawl, different to the neat script from before. Her mind supplied that Nami must have been tired when she wrote this. Trailing her finger tip along the words, she tried to decipher them through the messy scribbles. It didn’t help that parts had been crossed out.

I don’t know what to do anymore.

I’m so tired, I’m afraid to go to sleep. Every night, I see it. ~~I can’t tell whether I’m dreaming or awake. Im so scared~~. ~~I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched.~~ I wanna talk to the others about it, but I can’t. I just can’t. I’m the Principal Keeper. ~~I can’t let them know that I might be going crazy, seeing a giant shadow bird mam.~~ The others must know something is wrong…

What looked like a smear from a tear drop blurred the last line.

 I miss you, Vivi. I miss you so much.

Wide eyed Robin flipped back to the dark ink image in the centre, keeping her thumb on the diary entry. It became clear who had created the image. “Oh Nami…” Robin said under her breath. In her mind a lot of things clicked together, Nami’s foul mood during Sanji’s first weeks. Initially she’d thought it due to the fact that the she had been missing Vivi. But this added a whole new layer. Nami had been withdrawn, tired and barely eating. All along she had been suffering these horrific visions and had never told them. Now Robin was seeing the same creature. It only confirmed that it was in fact not a hallucination or a trick of their minds. It was real.

The door to her room door busted open as Franky erupted through the passageway heading straight to her bedside, “Robin, the Tower’s on fire!”

 

*

The fire from the tower illuminated the Isle in a thick orange, blurry and saturated. The two figures, stood side by side cut a striking image, one slender and lean, the other broad and muscular, casting a long silhouette on the crag behind. Simultaneously Sanji and Zoro turned their heads to look at each other. A sense of understanding had come over them. This was bigger than them, whatever this was. Their eyes met, and it was like an unspoken message was being exchanged. A glimmer of orange danced along their skin and in this strange light, it almost looked like their eyes were ablaze.

The hand on Sanji’s lower back pressed firmer with a protective twist of the fingers.  In the dead breeze filled with an unbearable heat, his hair limply flittered along his cheekbone. It felt as if time was accelerating, running away from them. Almost like being inside the bunker had been a moment frozen in time, but now reality had come crashing down.

Sanji was the first to break the eye contact, looking over his shoulder at the flames and billowing smoke. With a slight tilt of his head, he gestured, that he had to go.

Zoro swallowed and nodded steadily.

Without hesitation Sanji broke into a run, Zoro running right by his side.

They didn’t stop until they’d reached the grassy level with the sheep. Zoro hunched over himself, hands gripping his thick thighs as he puffed for air. He hadn’t run like that in years. He could taste acrid smoke from the tower in his mouth and they hadn’t even reached the compound yet. Stood just a little ahead of him was Sanji. His longer legs had proven better for running. Zoro had no doubt that Sanji wouldn’t wait for him, he knew by the look in the other man’s eyes in the exchange outside the bunker how desperate and determined he was to rescue his friends. And yet unexpectedly Sanji had been the first to stop, his body froze in a tense stance, one which suggested he would break into a run any minute, but something was preventing him. Collecting himself, Zoro moved toward him.

Instantly Sanji swiped out his arm in an elegant swish, his hand in a clear ‘stop’ gesture.

What was it, what was wrong? Not obliging him, Zoro took another couple steps forward. His eyes fixed on Sanji.

“Zoro,” There was a hint of cautious anger in his voice.

Zoro being Zoro, he couldn’t take the suspense anymore. Ignoring Sanji’s order, he strode forward, coming right up to his side, their flanks almost touching. If he thought he could get away with it, he would have hoisted Sanji right over his shoulder and carried him back to the bunker where he could make sure he was safe. It was too dangerous out here; that feathered bastard could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. For all they knew, this fire was a trap, to bait them back into the compound. The thought made his blood halt in his veins. He would stay on his guard, he wouldn’t let it happen. Firmly he gripped Sanji’s shoulder with one hand, his other hand forming a fist; he was in a fighting stance. “What’s wrong?” He grunted.

“Damnit Zoro.” Sanji hissed. The tone of his voice told volumes about how pissed off he was.

Despite the tone, Zoro found himself smiling. This was what he liked about Sanji, his fierce attitude and sharp tongue. He’d never met another person who was so on par with him. If anyone else spoke to him the way Sanji did, well quite simply they wouldn’t be here any longer. Something about Sanji, the way he held himself, told of his power. In Zoro’s mind, he and Sanji were equals. Hell their fight outside the Ruin had more than proved that. The sheer strength in Sanji’s kicks had been enough to rupture a man’s guts. Luckily Zoro was better, stronger than the average man. He’d made sure of that by training and weight lifting every day. Sure he gave off the vibe of being a lazy shepherd, but that was the guise, a shroud nothing more. That was how he knew that he couldn’t just sweep Sanji up in his arms and carry him off.

In the beginning, it had been a spark of interest. A new Light house Keeper. He had kept tabs, on the delivery runs of food and all the Replacement Keepers. So on the day, he stood watching. It was important he scouted each new member; risk assessed their potential to try to break into the Ruin and unlock the secret.

He still remembered the day he laid eyes on Sanji. He’d got in position, along the top most ridge of the grassy bank, the sheep bleating just below him, minding their own business. The hoist had arched up over the Isle like some ungodly mechanical claw, and yet there dangling precariously from its mouth was a man. Prepared for this moment, Zoro had taken his binoculars from around his neck and scoped out the new guy.

His initial impression had been intrigue. It wasn’t another woman and it wasn’t some weedy looking guy. No in fact this guy had quite an imposing countenance. He held himself so poised and stoically in the ridiculous looking harness that he somehow managed to make it look cool. The cigarette perched between his lips added to his look. Even when a gust of wind blew it away, the guy remained unfettered. Like nothing could faze him.

Oh Zoro was intrigued alright, this guy looked dangerous, dangerous as in he could prove a challenge if he tried to get into the Ruin. Sure that Franky guy was built like a shit house, but the fact that he was really soft as a marshmallow radiated off him a mile away. He decided then and there that he clearly needed a closer inspection of this new guy. Despite the fact he’d never bothered to check any of the other previous members.

So in par with his duty, he approached the compound under the cover of darkness. What wasn’t in keeping with his duty though, was the fact the he ended up talking to Sanji. He wasn’t supposed to interact with them. Keep watch, keep tabs, guard the Ruin and don’t get close to the Keepers. That was what he’d been instructed. Think of them only as extra sheep.

He could admit to himself that on that night upon their first meeting, he had gone a little overboard on the sexual innuendo with the pen. He couldn’t help himself, seeing that gorgeous mouth pouted around a phallic shaped object. The sight had nearly creamed him then and there. How long had it been since he’d seen an actual attractive person? In fact when was the last time he had found anyone attractive? He didn’t really consider himself straight or gay. His taste ran deeper than what could be simply labelled.

Shaking his head he almost felt himself grow hot under his collar. He had broken all his rules that night, not only did he approach a Keeper but he had even invited him over to his place. Fuck if his employer got word of that… He stopped that thought in its tracks. Worrying about his Boss wasn’t worth it. Still what had made him invite him over like that? Nah he knew why, he did what he wanted. Rules or not, he wanted to get to know this gorgeous man better and he did.

And now… shit; now he had serious feelings for the guy. What had started as a curious spark of interest had quickly burst into a wild fire, destroying all the straw buildings of rules he thought he knew. He sucked his lip into his mouth, _fuck_ he was in love with him, with Sanji. If it came down to it, he was prepared to betray his boss for him. His job was to prevent another outbreak of the curse. And he failed. The next step was containment… but there was no way, he was gonna leave Sanji on the Isle.

“Something’s wrong with the sheep.” Sanji spoke with a tense urgency.

Zoro snapped from his reverie. Taking in the current situation, he narrowed his eyes, it was a little darker on this level as the embankment casted a long shadow hiding the sheep. The sheep stared back at them, their eyes glinting gold in the dark, like holograms flashing unnaturally. It took only a second for him to realise what was wrong. His sheep, normally huddled in a lopsided herd, were lined up in uniform rows of two. He’d never seen them do something like that. He was only a pretend shepherd, he hadn’t taught them commands like that. He took a hesitant step forward, unsure what to do.

That single step was like a gun firing at the start of the race. The two front most sheep broke into a maddening trot, hooves thrashing into the ground, leaving deep indents.

Staggering back, Zoro watched in horror as the sheep behind followed in sync. They didn’t make a sound, no bleating, dead silence. The front most sheep reached the edge of the cliff and they just kept going even as their bodies left the ground, even as they were falling, their legs keep moving in a running position. Like they were bewitched in some vile mockery of Santa’s flying reindeer, their legs kept going but instead of flying, they fell, hard like rocks.

Realising what was happening, Zoro exclaimed in shock, “It’s, it’s escalated.” He turned to Sanji with a look of grim horror. The curse was moving faster than he thought. They didn’t have much time. First the birds, now the sheep, humans had to be next. Sanji was in danger! His face fell in fear; it felt like someone had punched the air from his lungs.

However Sanji mistook Zoro’s frightened look and lurched forward, his arms wrapping protectively around him. He spun them around so that Zoro wasn’t facing the falling sheep. Naively he believed Zoro to be upset over his flock.  And yes deep down the Shepherd was devastated at losing his flock, but he would never admit nor did he have time to grieve.

Several different chains of thoughts ran through Zoro’s brain, the most prominent one, was ‘ **Protect Sanji.** ’ The lithe body wrapped around him, holding him; he was safe, for now. He coiled tightly around Sanji, burying his face in his shoulder.

Sanji stiffened, the hug becoming way more intimate than he had initially desired. He’d only wanted to offer reassurance. However deep down he knew it was really because he was afraid, afraid that Zoro would suddenly race out after the sheep and leap off the cliff too. He couldn’t let that happen.

Tucking his head into the crook between Sanji’s neck and his shoulder, the leather from his coat felt cold on his skin. He pressed further, till his skin met the warm embrace of Sanji’s neck.

“Zoro,” Sanji said warningly. His hands fisted into Zoro’s back. Just as he felt lips press to his neck. It tingled pleasantly but he pulled back. Now wasn’t the time. He brought his hands up, one cupping Zoro’s face as he guided him away. “It’s over.” The last of the sheep had gone over the edge.

Another mass suicide.

Zoro looked at Sanji, seeing the concern in his blue eyes, and looked away. Did Sanji really believe he was upset over the sheep? _Idiot, it’s you I’m worried about!_ He mentally grumbled.

Slowly Sanji trailed his hand down along Zoro’s arm, gripping his wrist. “We have to go.” As he spoke his eyes searched Zoro’s face, trying to determine if he really was ok. He must have been content with what he saw as with a tug to his wrist, they set off again.

Beyond the edge of the cliff lay a pyre of sheep. Broken legs stabbed upwards to heaven at profane angles, twitching and jerking violently. Their woollen bodies were penetrated and ripped apart by jagged rocks, bright pink viscera spilled out in lumpy ropes coated in a dark jelly of blood.

Awash with crimson, the sea smiled a toothy grin. The roaring waves hungrily lapped at the gore and obliterated all sound of any final dying bleats.

*

 

Rushing into the compound, the smoke became thicker, smoggier as little pieces of ash littered the air. Standing at the bottom of the Tower was Franky, struggling to pry open the door. They rushed over to him.

“Is Robin alright? Where’s Miss Nami?”

Franky didn’t answer him, instead disappearing into the shed and returning with an old hatchet. With precise swings and loud blunt whacks he cut into the door. Since the door was made from wood it had swollen from the heat of the fire, effectively sealing the tower shut.

_Clomp, clomp, clomp_.

 Franky swung the hatchet, splinters of wood flittering aside. He answered them between swings, “Robin’s safe but I don’t know about Nami,” Worry was thick in his voice.

Sanji looked up at the candle in the sky, laughing at them with every roar of its flame.

_Miss Nami had been covering light duty. What if she was still in there?_ His stomach plummeted. They couldn’t wait any longer. Shoving Franky aside _,_ he smashed his foot through the door, breaking it into pieces with a loud boom and clatter. Intense heat seeped out through the opening. Roughly he tugged his coat off, shedding the layer to fend off the high temperature.

A tan hand gripped his shoulder effectively stopping him from barrelling straight into the hell fire.

Zoro.

Turning just slightly, his body still poised to run, Sanji eyed him. It was startling -to say the least- to see Zoro standing in the compound next to him. Almost like a fairy tale creature had crawled out from its book into the real world. Unnervingly he realised that the fabled Shepherd was in the compound and that he no longer had sheep. With bated breath he waited, for Zoro to start into his predictable ‘overprotective bullshit tirade’ on why he shouldn’t go into a burning tower. _Like anything Zoro said was going to stop him._

Instead, Zoro shed his own coat tossing it aside with one swipe. With the other he ripped two long slips of cloth from his white tee exposing a haggard and beautiful line of his midriff. He held out one slip to Sanji. A deadly serious look in his eye he said, “Wrap this around your mouth and nose. Don’t inhale the smoke.”

Sanji felt his mouth soften, and realised he had been subconsciously grinding his teeth in unfounded apprehension. He did as told knotting the fabric behind his head trying to ignore the fact that under the wretched smoke he could smell a hint of Zoro, his own unique scent, better than any air freshener.

Following suit Zoro tied his own. He was coming with Sanji; he was going to help this time.

They started up the stone stairs, Sanji leading the way, their steps hasty and cautious. The smoke was so thick it was nearly impossible to see before them. Zoro stuck to Sanji’s back like glue.  In the smog, they felt their way, hands running up along the warm stone walls.

Each time he slipped, losing his footing, Zoro was there in an instant, a firm reassuring grip on his lower back. Eventually after one too many near calls a hand stayed there on Sanji’s hip. Tan fingers like a lifeline embedded in the belt loop along the fabric.

Franky roared out from down below them, “I’m gonna secure the fuel house. Be careful bro and find Nami!”

They yelled back an affirmation and continued their slow winding journey. The stair case seemed to grow narrower the higher they climbed, Zoro pressed closer to him, until they were moving in sync.

Soon the lack of air was almost nauseating. The protective cloth made his breath condense under the fabric, hot droplets sticking to his mouth. Blindly he ran his hands along the stone walls, sweaty under his palm. Mentally he counted, under his breath, _a hundred, hundred and fifty, a hundred and eighty…_ He knew the total number of steps like the back of his hand. They were almost there, just one more wind of the clock around the tower. They approached the top most step and Sanji tumbled, hands gripping the place where the floor and wall opened up to the lamp room. They’d made it.

Thick black smoke billowed out like a coiling beast, masking the entire roof space, spooling maniacally out through the shattered windows. In the centre of the room, the fire raged, birthing red hot flames from the remains of the Aerobeacon. Sanji staggered out onto the floor. Zoro climbed steadily up behind him, hands digging into Sanji’s side as though to tug the other man back at any second.

Sweat dripped down his face. He’d never felt heat like this, it sapped all the oxygen out of the air. His hair was plastered to his face. Suffering the same heat, Zoro’s skin looked golden amber under the flames awash with sweat. They couldn’t take much more of this heat before they’d pass out.

The roof above them groaned like thunder rumbling threateningly, the expanded metal was straining under the heat.

Looking around the room, Sanji was disheartened to note that he couldn’t see any sign of Nami. He made to take a step forward to check behind the Aerobeacon. Zoro’s fingers dug into his sides, stilling him. Sanji turned to glare at him, he wasn’t being helpful.

Zoro cocked his head to the side, meaning for Sanji to look. He followed his gesture, spying an abandoned fire extinguisher gushing a slick liquid. Nami must have been here! That extinguisher was always stored in the fuel house. He made to move over to it.

The roof above them groaned with a loud metallic scream, as a support beam gave way, collapsing with a huge boom.

They stumbled back, Zoro holding him steady, as the support beams began to fall like the tower of Babel crashing down. He spun Sanji round to face him, the light from the fire dimming as the support beams fell, smothering it. Zoro gripped him so hard it hurt.

**“Run.”**

His head whipped back looking at the dying flames, realising that time had run out. He had to accept that Miss Nami wasn’t there. Now they had to save themselves.

They fell more than ran down the stairs, collapsing outside. On their knees, they hacked and stuttered for air, ripping the cloth aside. Zoro had crumpled forward, his hands fumbling up Sanji’s abdomen gripping the shirt that was stained black. He pressed his forehead to the other man’s back, inhaling smoke tainted clothes, feeling Sanji’s lungs inhale beneath him.

Coughing and hacking, Sanji limply turned his head over his shoulder, feeling the heavy body leaning on him. But what weighed heavier on him was Miss Nami’s absence. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried. Missing was better than dead, he supposed. It gave him hope that she was alive somewhere else and safe.

Franky bundled out from the fuel house looking like a reverse panda. HIs face was covered in soot apart from where his shades had been covering his eyes that left two bare clean spots of skin. He had the shades now perched on his head. “Was she up there?”

Zoro gripped onto Sanji tighter, tilting his head, resting his cheek on Sanji’s back to side eye Franky.

“No.” Sanji coughed.

Biting his lip, Franky nervously rubbed at the soot and grime on his face. He didn’t know what to say. Nami was the Principal Keeper. She told them what to do, she took charge. He was at a loss. There was a heavy silence punctuated by the crackling of the dying fire from above, dampened somewhat by the sounds of metal beams collapsing.

As though God himself said enough, the thick clouds above began to weep. A pathetic pitter of rain that glittered in the low light from the flames.

Sanji pulled himself to his feet, Zoro coming along in tow.

Recollecting himself, Zoro shifted away from Sanji but still remained within reaching distance. He held himself with a tough stance almost to impose on Franky that he was the frightening infamous Shepherd. But the effect was ruined somewhat by his torn t-shirt and almost beet root red face from possible heatstroke.

Truth be told, Franky thought the guy looked less imposing and more like a male model doing a photo shoot as a sexy fireman. What with all the soot, torn clothes and rippling abdomen. So yeah, not intimidating at all.

After a strange stare down, Zoro got the feeling that the larger man was in fact not afraid of him. So he spoke a hushed order to Sanji. “The fire is going out. It’s not safe for you here,” He fixed him with an imploring look, “Come back to the bunker with me.”

Lips drawing into a tight line, Sanji looked away. How could he retreat to the bunker in good conscious without having found Miss Nami? She could be anywhere, lying hurt and injured. He said as much with a snap, “No, we need to search for her.”

“Now that the fire’s out, its pitch black. You won’t find shit.” Zoro argued as he grappled at Sanji, his hand hooking around his neck, fingertips brushing the sweat soaked ends of his hair.

Sanji twitched at the direct touch.

“Look,” Zoro’s other hand came up, delicately padding along Sanji’s chin, diligently avoiding his busted lip and bruised cheek. “I need to keep you safe, with the lamp out, it’s too dark.”

An objection was on the tip of Sanji’s tongue, his hair bristling.

Franky interrupted them, they were wasting precious time. “Look Sanji, this guy,” He gestured to Zoro with a large thumb, “He’s got a point. There’s something weird going on here. Me and Robin can stay in the compound and keep an eye out for Nami. We don’t know what’s happened yet or where she’s gone.”

Taking in Franky’s plan, Sanji calmly pried Zoro’s hands off his face. The bigger man was right; she could be anywhere, maybe even hiding out safely in the radio station or in the living area of the lighthouse. At that thought he headed straight for the main building, noting that all the lights were off, and pushed through the door. The small living area that connected to the bunk area and kitchen was bare; the lone sofa with a simple blanket empty. There was no sign of life or that anyone had been there. Zoro followed after him like a shadow and he fairly looked it, covered head to toe in soot and ash.

“Miss Nami?” Sanji called. He stepped with light footsteps into the kitchen. The lights were all off since Franky had made sure that the generator and power were off to prevent a second electrical fire. His eyes were only just adjusting to the lack of light, when Zoro pulled out a torch, the beam of light revealing something odd.

The table they frequented for breakfast every morning seemed to have swollen in size, grown taller than normal. _What?_ Without asking Sanji yanked the torch from Zoro and shone it on the table seeing a peculiar sight. The chairs were stacked upon one another at impossible angles, balancing precariously; there was no way it could maintain that stance unless a ghostly figure was holding them up.

A second after the light hit the table, the almost pyramid formation crumbled as the chairs fell with heavy _thwacks_ to the floor with such force that several legs splintered and broke apart.

Jumping back, Sanji felt his eyes pop wide in shock.

Zoro made to step in front of him, to shield and usher him out.

Instantly there was a momentous bang as all the cabinet doors in the kitchen bursted open sending a shockwave. The sheer force of air from the cabinets literally knocked the wind from their lungs.

A strange hysteria settled over the two men, they had been knocked aback by an invisible force and like terrified cornered animals, their hackles rose. For a second, they were frozen to the spot not daring to breathe, their eyes madly roving for the source of the destruction. When they didn’t see a perpetrator, the sense that something supernatural was happening began to sprout in their minds.

As if to further challenge their sanity, a kitchen knife floated from its holder up into the air.

Simultaneously both Zoro and Sanji’s jaws dropped, the hairs on their arms standing on end as they watched the knife hover with its sharp tipped edge pointed down, dragging along the work top as if led by a ghostly hand.

With a snap that sounded like the rubber band of a slingshot releasing, the knife flung forward passing between the two men by inches. It spear headed into the wall, sinking almost entirely to the hilt. Like the wall had been made of soft cake or sponge rather than brick.

**CLUNK**

Without thinking, Sanji turned on his heel, instinctually reaching out to grab Zoro’s hand. Fingers linked; together they fled from the main building out into the dark compound. Behind them several further metallic _clunks_ sounded as more utensils were propelled about.

Outside they collected themselves, chests heaving for air as adrenaline surged. “You saw that right?” Sanji rasped loudly in disbelief.

“Yeah. Wait no, fuck. I don’t know what I saw…” Zoro shook his head and muttered the last bit to himself, “ _Knives fucking catapulting themselves? They never warned me about anything like that. Bastards._ ”

His last words luckily went unheard; he wasn’t ready just yet to tell Sanji everything. Instead he squeezed his hand, he hadn’t let go yet, needing the human touch to calm himself. His mind jumped back to his earlier plan and he gritted out, “ _Bunker_ **.** ”

Turning to face him, an incredulous expression on his face, Sanji fought the urge to wrench his hand away. For a minute he just blinked as he reluctantly realised that after the ‘murder knife’ (as he’d just dubbed it in his head) flying at them, he didn’t really have anywhere safe to go. Shit, he would have to agree. His thoughts tripped over a problem, _but what about Robin and Franky, would they be safe in their cottage?_

As if to answer his question, Franky emerged from the cottage with Robin in his arms. The image of King Kong cradling a tiny princess came to his mind.

Their hands untwined as Sanji pulled away, walking over to meet them.

Zoro held his eyes downcast, his hand felt empty. He’d let him go, he told himself. Sanji would come to the Bunker with him. Still he felt his teeth clench together in worry.

Even held up in Franky’s arms, bandaged leg and worse for wear, Robin still managed to exude a flourish of elegance about her. In her arms she clutched the log book. She pressed it to Sanji’s chest, with a strange look in her eyes. When she spoke her voice wavered as though it hurt for her to talk, “Check the heart of the book, there’s something you need to see.”

He made to question her, but she silenced him with a single look. Her green eyes looked a dark emerald colour and eerily they swivelled and pinned their gaze on Zoro standing behind Sanji. “Go with him. Get the final answers.”

Face falling at the order, Sanji felt worry tinged with sadness coil in his gut. He didn’t want to leave them, his friends. Surely they could come to, to the bunker. If it really was as safe as Zoro said. Although he hadn’t asked Zoro if they could come.

A small smile graced Robin’s lips as she murmured reassuringly, “We will be fine.” She nodded and he found himself nodding back even if he didn’t fully believe. Awkwardly he gave Franky and Robin a clumsy conjoined hug, telling himself that this wouldn’t be the last time he saw them.

“Keep safe.”

“You too,” Robin returned sincerely while Franky gave a small tilt of his head sending the same sentiment.

Turning on his heel and exuding a confidence he didn’t quite feel, he marched past Zoro. Determinedly he pulled out a cigarette and slid it between his lips; with a neat flip of his lighter he had it aflame. As his boots sunk somewhat into the marshier land outside the compound, he found his eyes darting about frantically, searching for any little sign of Nami. The dying flames from the lighthouse didn’t cast much to go by but he had to try.

Instantly, Zoro scampered out after him, not about to let the idiot Keeper go alone. Upon reaching the other man’s side, he protectively gripped Sanji’s upper arm. The little bit of contact slowing his rapidly beating heart. He was so on edge; he’d been guarding this Isle for how long now? 5 years? Nothing had ever happened; to the point that he’d almost thought the job was nothing more than a joke or a hoax. But it was easy money so he’d stuck it out. Now the forewarned curse was actually happening and he was struggling to recall what he’d been taught. Funny how in this moment, his only concrete thoughts were to protect Sanji, not the Isle’s secret. He had some serious thinking to do later, about where he stood, which side he would take. Although he knew already that he would be willing to betray his boss for him.

As his hand closed around Sanji’s upper arm, he realised that the other man was shivering or shaking badly. He couldn’t tell which but it concerned him nonetheless. It occurred to him that they’d both neglected to recollect their coats after shedding them. Now with the flames dying, the wind was bitter and biting as a chill pitter patter of rain bled through the fabric of their shirts.

Zoro didn’t speak or ask, just did what his instincts instructed. He needed to offer comfort and warmth. So he gently stopped his pace, his hand holding Sanji in place. The other man stopped, and eyed him curiously; the shivers were wracking through him now more furiously, his mouth straining to hold back chattering teeth.

Feeling his heart twinge at the sight Zoro leant forward and wrapped his arms around Sanji, encircling him entirely, hoping to remove some of the cold. Although he tensed at the thought that Sanji might shove him away.

Surprisingly Sanji allowed it, let himself be held, his shivers travelling over to Zoro’s body in slowing waves. Exhaling a long puff of smoke, he rested his chin on Zoro’s shoulder. Then with quiet eyes he stared forlornly out at the grassy area. To think that he had once named it, ‘the Secret garden’. Now with missing clumps of grass, crushed flowers and a painstaking absence of sheep, the only word that came to mind was grave.

 Tragedy, misfortune, death. _A Grave Garden._

His throat hitched at the mental image of grave stones. Did Nami die in that fire? They hadn’t found her body but in the frenzy of the blaze and falling beams, had they really looked hard enough? The fear that something had happened to her started to fizzle in him, starting low in his gut spreading in his veins as an uncontrollable shake. If something happened to her, then who was to say that something couldn’t happen to all of them?

He felt the fear grip his insides in a fist, squeezing as a fact struck his mind, the truth was that, if Nami hadn’t covered his shift in the lamp room, it would have been him missing right now. His mouth bent into a grimace as he realised he felt relief, relief that it hadn’t been him and that made him feel a surge of guilt. Eyeing the bottomless black sky making out tiny slivers of rain falling, he raised his arms up and gripped Zoro back, his hand fisting in the material of his torn shirt. He just needed to feel some human touch right now; he needed to not think about what was happening for a moment. If he fretted about it any longer, he might break.  His hands fisted tighter, his nails lightly digging through the fabric of Zoro’s shirt. For days now he’d been unable to stop worrying, chain smoking was no longer calming him. He needed a higher rush, to quieten his mind, if only for an hour just to distract him.

At the light pressure of nails on his back, Zoro pulled back a little so his eyes could meet Sanji’s. He found more than a confirmation there. There in the dark blue hue of his eyes was a quiet desperation, and the sight of it, caused an ache in Zoro’s heart. Pressing forward he placed a fierce kiss just to the corner of Sanji’s mouth, minding that it was busted.

A groan escaped from Sanji at the gentleness, at how tender Zoro was being.

The sound deep and sensual sparked something in Zoro, igniting an unbridled passion. Like a wild horse battering through its pen, finally tasting freedom, Zoro’s hands were everywhere, his mouth covering Sanji’s face and neck tasting a hint of soot.

And Sanji let himself be taken into the passion, like a body being dragged in the undertow, relentless and without escape. The sensations Zoro left on his skin were obliterating his thoughts, he didn’t have to worry or even think right now, he could just be lost in the motion.

Pulling back just an inch, Zoro gripped his face, one hand trailing down along his neck feeling his Adam’s apple, “ _Bunker now_.” He commanded in a calm tone that contradicted how hard it was for him to hold back from just taking Sanji then and there on the grass.

 

*

Entangled around each other, they had practically fallen down the bunker steps. How long had Sanji been waiting for this moment, the moment to bed Zoro? A month, nearly two? With a shove he pushed Zoro up against a wall, pressing hungrily up into his body. Zoro responded in turn, twisting and pulling. They stumbled and fought for purchase with each other, equally matched, equal in power. They found themselves tumbling through the silk curtain into the cosy nook.

Until Zoro had enough of the power struggle. Settling the score he gripped under Sanji’s thighs, the sensitive ticklish part where thigh met posterior. And just like that he hoisted him up, his hands kneading into soft thighs, pressing in so deeply.

Sanji sprung into action, his legs coming up and encircling around Zoro’s waist holding him firmly in place. Thankfully Zoro had such tremendous upper body strength that he was able to hold him, a full grown man in his arms like it was nothing. Said strength turned him on; the idea of Zoro fucking him then and there while he held him in the air had his blood pooling lower and lower. He had a filthy mind and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Sinking his blunt nails into the skin of Zoro’s back, hard enough to sting but not enough to draw blood, Zoro stumbled forward with a thrilled gasp. Bracing Sanji on the chest of drawers beside his wardrobe, Zoro swiped his arm out, sending whatever knickknacks that had been sat there flying with a _clatter._

Sanji planted his bottom on the unit and coiled the rest of his limbs around Zoro like an octopus.

Kissing a fire into his skin Zoro mouthed all up along his neck, stopping to nibble at the shell of his ear. A hot breathy whisper caressed his lobe, “Do you still think I’m a wolf?”

Taken aback at the choice of wording –Wolf- it sent his mind right back to their fight. The one they still hadn’t properly reconciled. He brought one hand up cupping Zoro’s jaw, manoeuvring him until their faces were opposite each other. His fingers settled in a light fan shape on Zoro’s lips. The index finger, pushed at the top most lip pulling it apart from its bottom companion. Plump, Zoro’s lips were much fuller than his own. In the snug light in the nook a small hint of teeth glinted.

“Show me your teeth.” Sanji replied, his voice sounding rough.

Opening his mouth slowly, the corners of his lips sticking somewhat, Zoro revealed two normal rows of teeth. Human not wolf.

Just as Sanji was contemplating making a joke, Zoro caught him off guard as his pink tongue cheekily ran along the bottom of the top set, in a deliberate arousing motion.

Sanji swallowed, he wanted nothing more than to kiss Zoro, seal their mouths together and lick his own tongue along those teeth himself- find out if they really were as blunt as they appeared. But the constant sting in his lip reminded him as to why that was a bad idea. He huffed petulantly, his eyes fixed wantonly on that mouth.

Smirking, Zoro slipped his tongue out and lightly lapped along the tip of Sanji’s index finger.

Inhaling deeply, Sanji pushed his finger deeper into Zoro’s mouth, running it along the crooked edges of his teeth. They weren’t perfect or straight, more like an old fence with different juttering heights. But there was something exhilarating about that. To know that Zoro had an imperfection, it made him all the more desirable. His second finger came up to join, pressing in, feeling the soft cushiony sides of Zoro’s mouth and the brush of his tongue as he licked his fingers. Truthfully it was nowhere near as satisfying as kissing but nonetheless it was turning him on in all the right places.

Closing his lips around Sanji’s fingers, Zoro sucked hot and intense, hollowing his cheeks, the pad of his tongue hotly lapping underneath the man’s fingertips.

Gasping audibly at the sensation, his trousers now clearly tented and pressing into Zoro’s groin, which was sporting its own sizeable bulge. Sanji’s brain turned to jelly at the dirty thought of what else Zoro’s skilled mouth could do.

As if reading his mind Zoro’s free hand, slowly travelled down Sanji’s abdomen, resting for a minute on his stomach. With Sanji sat on the unit, his thighs hooked upward around Zoro’s middle, his midsection was squashed somewhat together creating a small roll of fat.

Unable to help himself, Zoro pawed at the soft roll of flesh through the fabric of Sanji’s shirt. The desire to make Sanji feel good building, he lowered himself to his knees.

Following his movements, Sanji unwrapped his legs from Zoro’s middle but returned them to his shoulders so that his groin was still aligned with the other man’s face. With his legs raised up this high, he felt his thigh muscles stretch and pins and needles start in his toes, not that he cared.

Gripping the two tail ends of Sanji’s white button up shirt, a _pop pop pop_ sound followed with the light pitter of buttons falling free onto the floor as Zoro pried the shirt apart revealing Sanji’s adorable stomach and the shine of his belt buckle. He pressed a kiss to Sanji’s stomach, right next to his belly button marvelling at how soft and warm the skin was. Nuzzling his face there, his hands busied themselves with the belt buckle. After a rather prolonged fumble –it was difficult to undo someone else’s belt by touch alone- he managed to unfasten the buckle and tugged the zipper down, revealing an opening to Sanji’s private area.

Wriggling under his ministrations, his tummy sensitive and ticklish, Sanji ignored the hard surface of the unit that was beginning to hurt his backside. But he didn’t complain, excited by what was hopefully to come.

Mouthing lower, Zoro’s nose followed along the faint treasure trail to Sanji’s groin. There his tongue lavished long wet licks on the material of his underwear. He was surprised to see that he was wearing a sheer silk type of underwear, white with an almost pink hue. Did he say surprised? Actually he meant delighted as the material soaked easily with his saliva, sticking fervently to the outline of Sanji’s erect dick.

Squirming under Zoro’s hot mouth, Sanji panted, and tried to keep his legs upright on Zoro’s shoulder. It was downright bordering on maddening, the friction from that tongue. The fabric of his silk boxers stuck to him as wet powerful licks aroused him further. A whine escaped from his throat and Zoro laughed against his groin, hot and breathy.

The wood from the chest of drawers bit further into his backside. Before his hands had been scrabbling for purchase, trying to hold onto edge of the unit but after hearing Zoro’s taunting laugh he settled his hands on the scruff of Zoro’s hair, grabbing a tuff full, vindictively feeling the strands clump and stick to his hands. He could feel something else, a grainy undercoat and he belatedly realised that it was soot. That they’d left black boot prints all over the rugs. Hopefully Zoro wasn’t house proud. Gripping Zoro’s face, his thumbs pressing just by the soft spot at his ears, he carefully pulled Zoro’s head up away from his groin to look him in the eye. “Zoro… _Zoro,”_ He breathed, just shy of begging. He wanted more than a mouth on his underwear.

A wicked almost wolfish grin struck across Zoro’s face. He didn’t waste time, standing upward which in turn bent nearly folded Sanji in half, his legs bent at a ridiculous angle, -lucky he was flexible- as Zoro smothered another hot kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Melting into the kiss, Sanji couldn’t help but feel like he was being devoured. That if he wanted he could just let go, could give himself over completely to Zoro. Let him take all his worries and fears away for a moment, just forget.

Not breaking the kiss, and with a stronger tug than the belt buckle received, Zoro pulled down Sanji’s trousers and underwear to his knees.

It was an odd dance, where Sanji had to lift his legs higher up above Zoro’s head to free himself from the fabric. With a soft _flump_ , Zoro tossed the offending clothing to the side of the room and turned back to gaze at Sanji in his half naked glory. The white button up shirt was missing a few buttons and covering his upper torso but was like a naughty tease, accentuating his long legs.  

His hands moved and clasped around Sanji’s ankles, his fingers pressing hard enough to leave indents but not bruises. He manhandled his legs till the bit where the back of Sanji’s knee met his thigh came to rest on the crook of Zoro’s shoulder. Zoro’s hands travelled lower then, reaching the line where Sanji’s thigh joined his groin.

Pressing inward, his face disappeared lower until Sanji could only see the top of his head. And then there was a hot mouth licking and sucking at the sensitive part of his thigh.

Arching his back, toes curling, Sanji’s dick twitched and leaked. He slid his long fingers into Zoro’s short hair, pulling and tugging.

A hiss sounded from Zoro’s mouth and playfully he received a nip to his thigh.

His back arched further in a curve, his legs shifting on Zoro’s shoulders, almost coming off. But Zoro pulled a hand out and gripped the underside of his hips, holding him firmly in place.

Just as he was about to issue a complaint, a hot mouth encircled over his dick.

Sanji’s mouth flopped open, lost in an appreciative moan.

Zoro had shown him what he could do with his fingers and it truly had been just the teaser. He could feel the muscle running inside his thigh, twitch and jerk sporadically. It was almost too much stimulation. The tight mouth around him was pliable, saliva keeping it soft as a tongue twisted round and around.

Bodily he twisted, panting heatedly, air escaping between his gritted teeth as his legs crossed behind Zoro’s neck, tightening around him. For a second he feared that he was gonna clamp his legs shut altogether and suffocate the man. But a firm hand from Zoro gripped his thigh, squeezing and fixing him in place as the suction increased.

He could feel his release coming and that was when he froze mentally. He didn’t want this to be the end. It was too soon, too soft. He needed something harder, with more force. He pulled himself up.

Zoro’s head came off with a slick pop.

Uncoiling his legs, Sanji stood up on unsteady legs.

Following suit, Zoro stood too his hands lightly travelling along Sanji’s thighs. There was confusion hiding a hurt expression on his face. He thought Sanji had been enjoying it, so why did he pull away?

Unexpectedly Sanji jerked forward, boldly cupping Zoro’s clothed groin feeling the prominent and weighty bulge, making Zoro trill. To make his intentions clear, he pressed closer to Zoro’s ear and said in a coy breath, “I want you to fuck me.”

It was like releasing a bull from its cage. Within seconds Zoro had Sanji pinned by his front to the wall. The motion had almost knocked the wardrobe over. It rumbled and swayed on its feet but remained upright.

Sanji pressed his hands to the wall, gripping the loose fabric that was strung across and arched his back, displaying his pert backside, his lithe muscles. With the long white shirt covering him, just the very bottom of his cheeks could be seen, a perilous tease.  
  
Eyes blown wide with lust, Zoro reached forward, large hands gripping Sanji’s hips, feeling the material of the shirt float over the top of his palms as they travelled upward. Having enough of the tease, he gripped a handful on the shirt, hoisting it up till Sanji’s waistline was revealed and he could admire gorgeous dimples of Venus on his lower back.  
  
But it was still too tender; Zoro was treating him like he was precious. Worryingly Sanji felt ill at that thought, he didn’t deserve tender. Nami was missing because she covered his shift. Lowly he whined under his breath, he didn’t want to think anymore, he needed his mind fucked blank. He reiterated his urge for Zoro _to do him_.  
  
The line of heat from his back disappeared for a second. Zoro had gone. Turning around quickly Sanji saw him rummaging through his drawers.  


“What’re you doin?”  
  
“I need stuff to prepare you.” Zoro answered like it was the most obvious thing, and really it should have been.  
  
“Fuck that,” Sanji almost snarled. He didn’t want soft, he didn’t want gentle. He wanted it hard, rough and brutal. “No, come here now.” He all but growled, irritation starting to spike under his skin mixing with arousal. Not a good combination.  
  
Eyebrows bunched together in confusion, Zoro said limply, “But it'll hurt.”  
  
At that Sanji pushed away from the wall, his shirt fluttering around him like a billowing gown. He grabbed Zoro by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him flush to him, 'Zoro, please.'  
  
Still Zoro looked concerned but Sanji began to ply him with seductive touches, his hips rolling and pressing their groins together, audible moans rumbling within his chest.

Zoro gave in.  
  
Resuming his position at the wall, he felt Zoro set his hands on either side of his cheeks, pulling them asunder to reveal his hole. He felt his muscles tense up in excited anticipation. He wanted this so badly, to be speared apart.  
  
But Zoro interrupted his little fantasy, “If you won't let me prepare you properly then this is the best I can do.”

The next thing he knew, he could feel something hot and moist pressing and pushing against the rim of his hole. He jerked forward, fingers scrunching into the wall.

Zoro’s hot tongue had just poked through the centre, bridging a tiny gap.

He couldn’t believe it as he squirmed trying to hold himself in place, his hips gyrating into the wall.

He could feel the deft muscle slowly prying into him. At first it was just the tip; his tight ring of muscles squeezed back around it, trying to force out the intrusion. Then with a pulsing force the fat base of Zoro’s tongue fully penetrated into him, swirling round and around.

He gasped loudly and embarrassingly stuttered out, “T-There.” Feeling his hole open, his cheeks still pulled apart by Zoro’s hands, it was such a stretch, so tight that he could feel a tingle of pain under the surface. One of his cheeks fell loose as the familiar prodding sensation of a finger travelled along his perineum.  The fat pressure of the tongue disappeared and for a second, he felt empty right before two fingers coated in saliva pressed inside him.

It wasn’t rough enough; he could feel the fingers smoothly moving inside him, lamely stretching him and he was furious. _Zoro was still being too gentle!_

Complaining loudly at Zoro, he struggled to pull himself away. However he was trapped between the wall and Zoro. He couldn’t escape and was forced to accept the other man carefully preparing him. His complaints eventually turned to begs, “Now, Zoro. _Now please_.”  
  
Finally he felt the fingers leave him, and he glanced over his shoulder, his neck bent at an awkward angle as he watched Zoro grip his fat dick in his hand. It pierced out through the zipper of his jeans. The bastard was still fully clothed. He lined himself up and Sanji could feel the thick blunt head press against the loose bud of his entrance, could feel the rustle of fabric as the material of Zoro’s jeans scratched the back of his thighs.

It was taking too long. Sanji pushed back, feeling the head of Zoro’s dick at last entering him. Slower than he would like but it was _there,_ the familiar old burn as his body tried to accommodate to the intrusion.  And it hurt, it really hurt, even after Zoro’s best attempts he still wasn’t properly prepared without lube or even a condom.

Shit! What was he thinking doing this without protection? But then Zoro’s dick pressed right on that sweet spot inside him and pleasure spiralled in his body tainting the pain and it felt so fucking good.

It grounded him to that moment and his thoughts became a mantra of _just breathe, just breathe through the pain._ He didn’t think about anything else. The worry he felt over Nami, the fire and Robin disappeared from his mind. Instead he just focused on his breathing as it felt like his insides were being slowly impaled. Zoro’s dick was huge or at least it felt huge inside him. A cry ripped out from him as Zoro finally became fully sheathed, his balls pressing to the back of Sanji’s rear end.   
  
Gently Zoro’s hands rubbed up along his sides feeling Sanji’s stomach rise and fall. He murmured tenderly under his breath, asking if Sanji was okay.  
  
“Fucking move, you shitty shepherd,” Sanji groaned, his voice wrecked and trembling, “Show me those teeth,” He gritted out.

That seemed to spur something in Zoro. He finally got the message and bucked his hips back and fired into him. The wet sound of flesh slapping off flesh was loud in the quiet of the nook.  
  
It was painful, unbelievably painful with an undertone of pleasure. The noises Sanji made were unreal, something between a moan and scream. The fabric of Zoro’s jeans was rubbing a fire into his backside and occasionally he would feel a nip from his zipper, each little nick making him howl louder.  
  
Zoro’s fingers dug deeper into Sanji’s side leaving indentations and possibly bruises.  
  
And it was so good, so good. Oh he needed it harder.  
  
“This is what you want?” Zoro hummed between thrusts, sweating from the exertion.  
  
Embarrassingly Sanji realised that he'd been moaning out loud chanting, _“More, more, harder, oh fuck harder.”_ Throwing his pride to the wind, he yelled back, his voice a throaty rasp, “Fuck me harder.”  
  
He didn’t need to be told twice. Zoro snapped and fired his hips, each thrust pressed Sanji further into the wall, his nails tearing little holes into the cheap fabric. Sanji pressed his forehead into the wall, feeling his breath escape around him. Closing his eyes he just revelled in the force behind him, pummelling into him.

“Let me see you.” Zoro grunted out. His hand had travelled up to Sanji’s neck intertwining in his hair, sharp little tugs, almost flawlessly painful.  
  
The pain in his rear had fallen into a low burn, his hole accustomed now to the stretch. Sanji tilted his head around his shoulder, just to glance at Zoro, to satisfy his request.  
  
It wasn’t enough. Zoro tugged him bodily around by the shoulder, his dick sliding out from Sanji.

The other man audibly exclaimed from the sudden loss.

Turning him to face him, Zoro pushed him back into the wall, his shoulder blades knocking with a pleasurable gasp. He stopped then, and there was a moment where the two just looked at each other. Sanji’s dick was hidden under his long white shirt, leaking precum turning the fabric teasingly translucent in places. His thighs were blushed pink from all the action, and a glistening sweat decorated his chest.

In return Sanji’s eyes ran up and down Zoro.  His pupil was blown so wide with lust that his eye appeared a glorious black. Sweat shone on his gold skin, his hair slick on his scalp while remains of soot lingered to his skin. It was a gorgeous sight.

Zoro came closer, hoisting him by the hips like he weighed as little as a doll. There was an awkward moment where Zoro was balancing Sanji by one hand under his hip while Sanji propped his upper body weight against the wall, watching as Zoro aligned his throbbing dick with his hole. Tentatively he pressed in the tip, just so the head was swallowed up. And then he let go of Sanji.

Bodily with the help of gravity he slid down the wall, his hole swallowing Zoro’s dick. At the new intrusion there was a burning sensation and his insides felt like they were on fire but he was moaning loudly in pleasure. Really it was lucky they were in an underground bunker or the whole Isle would have heard him.  
  
His release erupted unexpectedly; his dick twitching sending spurts of seed, wedged in between Zoro’s chest and his own. He cried out, like a wounded animal, as his orgasm ripped through him.

Zoro continued to pummel into him as Sanji gripped his shoulders, digging his nails into him. With each thrust Sanji travelled up the wall, only to slide back down onto Zoro’s dick. A friction burn had started to form on his back.  With his release still exploding within him, he begged for Zoro to finish. His own spent dick had become limp and trapped between them.

Hips stuttering at breakneck speed, Zoro slowed, pressing so hard into Sanji that the other man was afraid  that he was gonna merge into the wall.

His lungs felt crushed and for a minute he couldn’t breathe. Flattened between Zoro and the wall, his thigh muscles complained and spasmed. Then he felt a hot slick liquid trickle out from his entrance. Zoro had finished without warning and he’d come inside.

Sinking into the body underneath him, Zoro sighed and kissed Sanji’s neck, murmuring something about how good he was. But Sanji wasn’t paying much attention. After all that exertion his eyelids were drooping, he was tired, and then he seemed to be floating. A soft bed somehow appearing underneath him.

 

*

When he awoke, it was impossible to tell the time. Zoro was asleep by his side. The other man had shed his clothes, evident by the pile on the floor. His gorgeous naked top half was viewable from above the blanket. Although with their combined heat, it would suffice to say that the blanket wasn’t needed.

Sanji pulled himself up into a sitting position, careful not to wake Zoro. He eyed the log book; it had fallen to the floor during their heated interaction. Carefully, he climbed down onto the myriad of rugs, the fabric worn and scratchy on his bare feet. His long shirt dangled around him and rested piously along on his thighs covering his modesty as he sat on his hunches. Since there was no way he was gonna be sitting on his bottom any time soon. After all that _action_ he ached.

Zoro rolled over onto his front, the blanket slipped away from the dip of his back revealing an amazing round bum in boxers.

Sanji’s eyes traversed over the curve of it, Zoro had a perfect bubble butt, fat and full.

One eye opened lazily as Zoro lifted his hand out in a loose come hither motion. “Sanji,” He murmured his voice low, husky from sex, and way too satisfied, “Come back to bed.”

Staring over his shoulder at Zoro, Sanji felt a little irritated. He was beginning to see that once again they were on completely different pages. For him the sex had been a release, a way to stave off the building stress and worry. Now he felt bone idle, calm and fully able to formulate a proper plan of rescue for everyone. Zoro on the other hand… Sanji felt a little twinge of guilt in his gut as he realised that maybe this _communion_ between them had meant a little more to him. His mind flashed back to intimate scenes between them. Zoro had wanted to make love to him… but Sanji, he had just wanted to fuck. He couldn’t be romantic and passionate while his friend was missing. Still he wasn’t about to voice to Zoro, that he had maybe kinda just used him.

Feeling guilty, Sanji scooped Nami’s Log Book and approached the bed. Stopping just before it, his thighs pressed along the edge of the mattress.

A lustful grin grew along Zoro’s face as he reached out an arm lazily, gripping Sanji’s hip.

Tilting his head coyly, Sanji gazed down at the man below him. The hand on his hip slipped under the fabric of his shirt, travelling around to rest on his butt cheek.

A pleased sigh traitorously escaped Sanji’s mouth.

The hand splayed wide kneading the meat of his cheek, pulling enough to tug at his sore hole.

 Sanji felt his soft dick twitch with renewed interest. But they didn’t have time for that he chided, and pulled away from Zoro’s hand.

Eyeing him carefully, wondering what he was thinking, Zoro rolled over onto his back and patted the space beside him in the bed.

The corner of Sanji’s mouth curved upward and he found himself stepping up onto the bed, standing on the mattress, way above Zoro. He stared down at the man, and knew that even though they had serious things to discuss, (Their fight for one) he still had real feelings for him. He settled one foot on either side of Zoro’ thighs and carefully lowered himself till he was just perched above them, carefully keeping his sore end in the air.

A pleased grin grew on Zoro’s face, his canine tooth playfully nipping his full bottom lip. Both his hands came up finding their favourite place on Sanji’s hips, his index fingers pressing into the Venus dimples on his lower back.

Stretching, Sanji put on a little show for Zoro, raising his arms above his head, the log book coming with as his shirt rode up revealing his half chub.

Pupils dilated, Zoro’s hands left their perch, to travel slowly up Sanji’s side, feeling the other man’s stomach rise and fall, the dips of his ribcage. A fine trail of light hairs tickled as other hand dipped lower, reaching the nest of hair.

Promptly Sanji dropped the log Book on Zoro’s bare chest, effectively killing the mood.

Cocking his head to the side Zoro raised an eyebrow at Sanji’s action and his hand fell away from his crotch. Still his other hand rubbed a smooth circle into his back dimple. He wasn’t gonna give up on ‘round 2’ that easily.

Rolling his eyes, Sanji gave the book a loud pat with his hand. “Zoro,” His lips pulled taut and his voice was stern, “Its time. Tell me everything you know.”

He didn’t drop his hand, but his thumb did stop its movements. He leaned back, the pillow beneath him creasing around his head as he stared up at the dark ceiling. Thinking how far they were below ground. Maybe they could just stay here and forget the outside world, forget their problems.

Loudly Sanji batted the book again with such force that Zoro could feel it travel through the book to his lungs. Sighing he pulled himself up to a sitting position, his hands gripping Sanji’s hips so that he remained straddled over him. He liked having him in his lap.

Readjusting himself in Zoro’s lap, Sanji made himself more comfortable. Laying his arms loosely around Zoro’s neck. The lamp light flickered lowly and he was reminded how cosy it was in the room.  How very much in their own private bubble they were. He felt safe here. But there were more important matters; he fixed Zoro with a firm look, never breaking eye contact.

The log book had slipped off Zoro’s chest, and rested on the jumbled blanket. Gently Zoro brought his hand up, twiddling the ends of Sanji’s hair between his fingertips.

Sanji pinched his lips as Zoro leaned in a pressed a very light and tender kiss to his lips lingering there for a moment. His hand that had been gripping his hip rose up to grip his middle.  After that _exercise_ and the amount they had sweated, Sanji’s normally immaculate straight hair had dried with a wave to it. Zoro admired it, pulling a lock and watching it spring back into a curl. _Cute,_ he thought.

Splaying a hand on Zoro’s back, Sanji felt the thick muscle beneath and the hard press of his shoulder blade. “You’re stalling.” He said with a warning tone.

Sighing Zoro pressed his forehead to Sanji’s, just wanting to bask in the moment a little longer. He was afraid that if he revealed all, Sanji would be done with him. Then the hand he had tangled with blonde hair was being tugged free by the other man. He let Sanji interlace his fingers between his. He opened his eyes, holding eye contact with him.

 “I promised, didn’t I?” Sanji reiterated.

Zoro inhaled sharply remembering that promise. That Sanji would always come back. Okay, “I’ll tell you everything.”

 

*

Chapter 5 - End

To be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well friends we are reaching the end, I predict only one more chapter to go. As stated by Zoro, all mysteries will be solved and all questions answered! 
> 
> Please leave a little comment telling me your thoughts or feelings. I don't think I need to say how much it means to me. :')
> 
> And as always, I have a tumblr:  
> CreepyCoat (Sideblog but Personal account)  
> Pandotedily (Main blog)  
> Come find me there! <3


End file.
